


Moving In Stereo

by Sam4265



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Child Abuse, F/F, Friends to Lovers, Love Triangles, M/M, Teenage Drama
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-26
Updated: 2020-06-21
Packaged: 2021-03-01 18:47:58
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 24,578
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23851819
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sam4265/pseuds/Sam4265
Summary: Love triangles, parties, secrets, and asshole best friends. What more could you want out of high school?A slice of life from Hawkins, 1984.
Relationships: Billy Hargrove/Steve Harrington, Jonathan Byers/Nancy Wheeler, Robin Buckley/Heather Holloway
Comments: 11
Kudos: 41





	1. They Say All In Love Is Fair (Yeah, But You Don't Care)

**Author's Note:**

> Warning: It's the 80s bitches. 
> 
> Title from The Cars song.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title from The Power of Love (Huey Lewis & The News).

Billy splayed his arms out and floated in the gently rocking water. A smile snuck its way onto his face. His curls floated around his ears, and far off in the distance he heard laughing and the hiss of opened beer cans. 

“Cannonball!” 

Billy had half a second of delayed panic and then Steve was exploding into the pool, the splash throwing water over Billy’s face. He sputtered and cursed as he righted himself. 

“You’re dead, Harrington!” He shouted. He dove toward a cackling Steve and they tumbled through the pool, each trying to pin the other under the surface.

“You idiots are going to drown each other!” Robin snapped. Billy shoved Steve off with a huff.

“You’re lucky,” he hissed. “I could totally kick your ass.” 

Steve rolled his eyes, clearly unimpressed. They both knew Billy could absolutely kick Steve’s ass, but it didn’t matter because they didn’t fight like that, not really. They saved their beatdowns for the assholes on the Ralphio Prep basketball team. 

Billy trudged out of the heated pool and immediately began to shiver. Four years and he still hadn’t gotten used to how cold it was in Indiana. 

“Here.” Robin tossed him his Hawkins lifeguard sweatshirt. He hated to be a joiner but he hadn’t actually had any sweatshirts when he’d moved from California, and leather jackets were only practical for so long. 

Billy toweled off and pulled the sweatshirt on over his head. The sun was still out but the clouds kept covering it. Billy missed the sun. 

“I fucking hate this weather,” he said. Robin handed him a half finished joint. 

“This’ll help,” she said, her eyes locked on the patio door. Billy took a deep drag of the joint.

“You know there’s a saying about watched pots and all that,” he said. She glared at him.

“Shut up. I hate having to sit here with no one but you two morons for company.” 

“You could talk to Jonathan and Nancy,” Billy suggested. Robin groaned and looked over at the corner where Jonathan and Nancy were sharing a pool chair and edging closer and closer to public indecency. 

“Gross,” Robin muttered. Billy choked on a laugh.

“Hey! Isn’t anyone going to swim?” Steve called from the pool.

“It’s forty degrees out here Steve!” Billy shot back.

“It’s a heated pool,” Steve said stubbornly. 

“Heather will probably get in when she gets here,” Robin called. Billy smirked. 

“You hope,” he muttered. Robin dug her bitten down nails into the bruise on his arm. 

“Ow!” He hissed. 

“I thought we agreed never to speak of this in public?” She asked delicately. Billy rolled his eyes. 

“This isn’t exactly public.” He looked over to where Nancy and Jonathan were making out. They hadn’t come up for air in what seemed like forever. Billy took another hit of the joint and threw Steve’s discarded shirt at them. Nancy glared at Billy with a hateful twist of her lips and Billy made a face at her. It was common knowledge that Nancy hated him. Freshman year of high school Billy had finally grown into his skin and Mrs. Wheeler had taken notice, explicit notice. They’d made out a little and Nancy had hated him ever since. 

“Fuck off Billy,” she snapped. Billy grinned big and flipped her the bird. She rolled her eyes and went back to sucking Jonathan’s tongue out of his mouth.

“They make me sick,” he muttered. Robin shrugged.

“At least they’re getting some,” she sighed. Billy opened his mouth to reply, but the porch door slid open and Robin shot out of her seat. Billy turned to see Heather with her Madonna hair and one piece Hawkins Lifeguard suit. Robin rushed over and they started talking all fast and high pitched. Billy rolled his eyes. Robin probably thought she was being subtle. 

“Heather! Finally!” Steve called from the pool. He pushed himself out just enough to grab her hand and pull her down with him. 

“My hair!” Heather screeched. She tumbled in after Steve, and they both came up soaked and laughing. Robin’s face fell, and she plopped down in her seat next to Billy with a defeated sigh.

“You could just go in you know,” Billy said. She snatched the joint from his hand and took a deep drag. She was watching them, Steve and Heather, splashing water on each other and laughed uproariously as they stumbled around flirting. Billy felt his chest go tight and he had to look away. 

“What’s the point?” Robin asked bitterly. Billy knocked his bare knee into hers and settled more comfortably into his sweater. 

“Want to go raid Steve’s dad’s liquor cabinet?” He asked. Robin smirked at him. It did a lot to lighten up her face, but her eyes were still sad. 

“Sure,” she said. 

They got off their chairs and crept through the patio door. Billy ruffled his hair before he went inside and his curls broke apart, throwing water everywhere. He looked back to see Steve watching him. He looked away quickly and followed Robin through Steve’s house to his Dad’s office, the one with the thick layer of dust over everything except the liquor cabinet. Billy picked the lock on the cabinet, and Robin plucked a bottle of single malt from the top shelf. They grabbed two glasses from Steve’s Dad’s special set of crystal, and Robin poured each of them a finger. 

“Tut tut, stock market and things,” Robin said in an artificially deep and haughty voice. 

“Agreed, agreed,” Billy replied. “Reports and numbers and such.” 

They clinked their glasses with a barely suppressed giggle, and tossed back the scotch. Robin coughed, choking on hers, and Billy’s eyes watered.

“That’s disgusting,” Robin said wrinkling her nose. Billy winced.

“Agreed. Let’s raid the fridge for beer instead,” he said. They left the crystal and the scotch out, Steve could clean it up later, and went back to the kitchen instead. They grabbed two of the cheap beers Steve usually bought off Tommy H’s older brother and cracked them open. Billy hopped up on the counter and took a big swig of his. 

“Much better,” he sighed. Robin giggled. She searched through the fridge and pulled out a tupperware container full of sloppy joe meat. 

“Bitchin!” Billy gasped. Robin grabbed two spoons out of the cabinet and started eating it by the spoonful. 

“God Steve has the best shit,” Robin said, her lips smeared with marinara. Billy nodded enthusiastically, and let the munchies take over. They worked their way through half the container before Robin spoke. 

“Do you think Steve will ask Heather to the dance?” She asked. Billy sighed. So much for his good mood. The Winter Formal was right around the corner and with it came the usual bunch of teenage anxiety. Of course for Billy and Robin that anxiety was twofold, because neither of them could go to the dance with the person they really wanted to. To make things worse those people were probably going with each other, unfortunately.

“You know worrying about it doesn’t help,” he said. Robin bit her lip.

“He totally is, isn’t he?” She asked. 

“I don’t know,” Billy said honestly. It did nothing to calm her. He sighed again and looked out to the back porch. Steve had his arms around Heather’s waist and was throwing her into the pool. Billy’s lips twisted into a frown. 

“Forget them,” he said.

“I can’t,” Robin muttered, her tone one of complete and utter defeat. Billy wasn’t surprised. To them unrequited love was the end of the world. Billy knew better but what good was knowing better? All it meant was that he was damaged and, worse, that he couldn’t sympathize with his friends. 

“Hey, five bucks says Tommy H and Carol are broken up again on Monday,” Billy said in a desperate bid to get Robin’s mind off Heather and Steve. 

Robin shot him a narrow eyed look.

“No way, I say they’re together until next Saturday,” she said. 

“Why next Saturday?”

“Tina’s Halloween party’s on Saturday,” Robin smirked. 

“Oh no fair! How the hell am I supposed to remember when Tina’s stupid party is!” Billy cried. 

“She gave _you_ the invitation!” Robin laughed. Billy rolled his eyes and pouted.

“I might as well give you the money right now,” he said. Robin smirked. 

“I wouldn’t say no to that.” 

Billy shoved at her shoulder, and she jumped out of the way with a laugh.

“What’s so funny?” 

Billy turned to see Steve and Heather, dripping wet and standing entirely too close for comfort, in the kitchen doorway. Little droplets of water kept falling from his wet hair onto his bare chest and Billy felt his cheeks heat. 

“Nothing,” Billy said, looking quickly away. 

“I see you guys finished off my dinner,” Steve said, gesturing to the almost empty container of sloppy joe. Billy shrugged and puffed out his chest. 

“So?”

Steve rolled his eyes. 

“I don’t give a shit, I’ll just order pizza,” Steve said. Billy let his chest deflate and thought jealously about what it would be like to be able to order pizza whenever you wanted. 

“You better be getting pepperoni, I want leftovers,” Billy said. Steve’s eyebrows shot to his forehead. 

“Careful there Bill, wouldn’t want to end up like Mr. Brooks from the pharmacy,” Steve winked at him, and Billy shoved his head out of the way.

“No, keep it up Stevie, see what fucking happens.” Billy was trying for threatening, but Steve could call his bullshit a mile away and he only rolled his eyes. 

“Where are John and Nancy?” Robin asked. 

“Necking,” Heather said, grabbing her own beer out of the fridge.

“Dammit, don’t drink all my beer!” Steve cried indignantly. Heather very pointedly cracked open the can and took a big sip. She stared Steve in the eye as she swallowed.

“Ahh,” she said, a satisfied smile on her face. Robin snickered.

“You guys suck,” Steve slumped back into the counter next to Billy. 

“There’s some of your dad’s whiskey left if you’re really thirsty,” Billy grinned into his beer. Steve’s eyes bugged out.

“You drank his whiskey?” He snapped. 

“It was disgusting,” Robin admitted. Steve dropped his head into his hands. 

“I’m going to go drown myself real quick, be right back.” He started walking away, but Billy snatched the back of his swim trunks and snapped them against Steve’s ass.

“Shit!” Steve squeaked. Billy cackled.

“You’re dead Hargrove!” Steve snapped. Billy hopped off the counter and took off back out onto the patio. He ran around the edge of the pool, but Steve was quick. He tacked Billy and the two of them fell straight into the pool. The splash kicked water up over the edge of the pool and doused Jonathan and Nancy.

“What the hell?” Jonathan gasped. 

“Billy, you shit!” Nancy shrieked. Billy laughed harder, even as Steve shoved his head under the water. Billy ducked down and snatched Steve’s trunks right off his hips. He kicked off from the wall and swam quickly away, Steve’s trunks still in hand. He raced out of the pool and held Steve’s trunks triumphantly up in the air. 

“Give them back, Billy!” Steve snapped, his hand over his crotch under the water. Not that Billy was looking or anything. 

“Come and get them Stevie,” Billy said, waving the trunks out in front of him. 

Steve swam to the edge of the pool and reached up for his trunks. Billy danced out of the way impishly, his joviality spurred on by Robin and Heather’s laughter and the lingering effects of the weed. 

“Dammit Billy!” Steve snapped. 

“You can have them back whenever you want, you just have to come get them,” Billy smiled. Steve took a fortifying breath and jumped out of the pool. The girls shrieked and Jonathan wolf whistled as Steve’s bare ass was left on clear display. 

“Shake it Steve!” Heather catcalled. 

Steve snatched his trunks out of a laughing Billy’s hand and pulled them harshly up his legs, his face crimson in embarrassment. Billy’s face felt hot and he kept his grin for show but inside he was burning. 

Steve’s dick was _huge._

“Aww, don’t feel bad baby, I know it’s not really that small, it’s just cold outside,” Billy grinned. Steve shoved him back into the pool, Billy laughing all the way. 

“You’re not getting any of that pizza! And no more beer shitbird!” Steve shouted. Billy shrugged. He pulled his sopping sweatshirt off and threw it on the side of the pool. Then he stretched out on his back and let himself float. 

He was floating for a while, the weed and the beer making him sleepy. Eventually his hand bumped the side of the pool and he let his eyes flicker open. Robin’s silhouette appeared above him.

“Pizza’s here big guy,” she said. “Steve might actually eat it all out of spite if you don’t get out soon.” 

Billy shrugged. 

“I’m floating,” he said. Robin smiled. 

“Yeah, I see that. You know you’re about as subtle as a hand grenade, right?” She asked. 

“Steve doesn’t notice.” 

“That’s because Steve’s thicker than his dad’s wallet. Now come on, you can’t leave me to be a fifth wheel by myself,” Robin said. Billy sighed.

“Okay.” He hauled himself out of the pool and Robin tossed him a towel. By now the sun had sunk in the sky and Billy felt goosebumps break out across his skin. He looked pitifully down at his sweatshirt, which was still sitting in a wet heap on the concrete. Robin picked it up and tossed it over the diving board to dry. 

“Don’t worry,” she said. “I’ll bully Steve into letting you borrow one of his.” 

It turned out she didn’t need to because as soon as they stepped inside Steve threw one of his own sweatshirts at Billy’s head. 

“Asshole,” Steve muttered good naturedly. Billy smirked at him. He pulled Steve’s sweatshirt over his head, and tried not to be too obvious about his smile. Steve was taller than him, but Billy was thicker. As a result they were pretty much the same size in clothes. Billy folded his hands into the sleeves, settled down on a towel on the floor. The sweatshirt smelled like Steve and Billy let himself breathe deep. Steve always smelled good. A combination of expensive cologne, fabric softener, and Farah Fawcett hairspray. Billy and Steve had discovered it a couple years ago when they’d started styling their hair regularly. Billy had since found other hairsprays that were better for his curls, but Steve had stuck religiously with Farah. Billy couldn’t really blame him, Steve’s hair was legendary. Best not to mess with what’s working.

And boy was it working for him. The only thing more legendary than Steve’s hair was his status as a ladies man. 

“Pizza?” Billy asked. Heather handed him a paper plate covered in grease spots with a single slice of pepperoni pizza on top. The pizza came from one of the local pizza places instead of the new Dominos, and every slice was massive. Steve folded his in half and took a bite. Nancy put her plate down on the floor and used a fork and knife to cut her slice into little pieces. Billy took a bite and let the grease smear around his mouth.

“So, we’re all going to Tina’s on Saturday, right?” Heather asked. Steve nodded.

“Think so,” he said. There was a chorus of agreement. 

“I don’t know if I can,” Billy said around a mouth full of pepperoni.

“What? Why not?” Robin asked. She had that look in her eyes like she was begging him not to leave her alone. She had only been invited because of her association with them, and likely would be fifth wheeled into being the loser standing in the corner with the half empty beer if Billy didn’t go. Steve, Heather, and Billy had all gotten invites from Tina herself. Nancy had gotten one from Tina’s friend, and Jonathan and Robin were only coming because none of the rest of them would leave them behind. 

“My dad wants me to go trick or treating with Max on Saturday,” Billy said. 

“But she's thirteen!” Steve protested. 

“I know, but my dad’s got this whole thing about responsibility-” 

“Just come,” Steve said. “Max won’t care. She can take care of herself.” 

Billy felt the dread stirring in his gut at the idea. It wasn’t like he didn’t leave Max alone, he did. All the time. It was just that when his dad said explicitly that he wanted Billy to do something Billy usually did it. Then again Max would probably relish the idea of being chaperone free for Halloween. He knew she wanted to find Lucas and his pack of dorks and if he let her she wouldn't tell a soul that he'd left her alone.

“I don't know.” 

“Come on man, you don’t want to make Tina sad, do you?” Steve asked.

“Dude, I could give a shit about Tina.”

“ _Dude_. God you are so from California,” Nancy said disdainfully. Billy flipped her the bird and she sneered at him around her forkful of pizza.

“Please, Billy,” Robin said, looking at him with her big blue eyes. Billy groaned and ducked his head. 

“Fine,” he muttered. “I’ll be there.” 

They cheered and he waved them off. He had a very bad feeling about this. 

“Should we be bringing Tina a present or something?” Jonathan asked. Billy rolled his eyes. 

“God Jonathan, you are such a dork,” he said. Nancy shot him a flinty glare. She opened her mouth to say something that was sure to be shitty and disparaging, but Steve bulldozed over her. 

“I’m bringing a twelve pack, that’s two beers from each of us. Sounds like the perfect present to me,” he said jovially. 

“Here here,” Billy said, holding up his beer to clink against Steve’s. 

“If it were me I’d take The Cars on vinyl,” Robin said thoughtfully. 

“Ugh,” Billy groaned. “Of course you would.”

“Shut up The Cars are classic,” Robin shot back. Billy shook his head. 

“Hell no, Zeppelin, Metallica, nothing else,” he said. 

“Oh my god, you’re so predictable.” Steve shook his head. 

“What, and you like The Cars?” 

“Uh, I like Aerosmith and 38 Special, but fuck you very much.”

“I like Madonna,” Heather said with a smile. “Ooh! And Heart. And Stevie Nicks. And-”

“We get it, any female singer worth a damn is on your mixed tape,” Steve said dismissively. 

“Gross, Fleetwood Mac.” Billy shuttered. Heather shoved at his head and Billy gracefully toppled over onto his back. He continued to munch on his pizza.

“We haven’t heard from Jonathan or little miss perfect over there,” he said. 

“Oh god, don’t get him fucking started. We all know it’s The Clash. He’s like a broken record,” Steve said reproachfully. He had never really gotten over Nancy cheating on him with Jonathan and sometimes it showed. 

“What about the princess?” Billy asked. Nancy leaned over to flick his ankle and he winced. 

“Billy Idol wannabe,” she hissed. Billy sat up.

“Hey-”

Steve slapped a hand over his mouth.

“Anyway, the point is, beer is enough for the party,” he said. Billy shoved his hand away and glared at Nancy. He wasn’t a wannabe, he had much better hair. His Billy Idol-esque fashion choices may or may not have had something to do with his massive crush on the guy, but Nancy didn’t need to know that.

“I have better hair,” Billy said shortly. 

“You have a perm,” Nancy said. 

“How _dare_ you! I’ll have you know I was _born_ with curly hair!” Billy snapped. Robin put a hand on his ankle. 

“Don’t worry, we all know it’s not a perm,” she said in a way that very much implied the opposite. 

“Whatever,” Billy huffed. He tossed his pizza back on his plate and laid back with his head near Steve’s thigh. He wasn’t daring enough to actually put his head on Steve’s thigh (mostly for fear of being solidly rejected), but near was good enough. He could feel Robin watching him but he refused to look at her. 

She was the only other person on the planet who knew about his crush on Steve. Likewise he was the only other person on the planet who knew about her crush on Heather. They were two of a kind, and it had made them close, but in the end it didn’t really mean much. Their desires were locked down for the sake of being completely unrealistic. Billy knew Steve would never like him, and Robin knew the same about Heather. Still they hoped, and that was enough for them. 

Billy looked up to see Robin watching Heather’s wet hair drip down her back. He nudged her with his bare foot and she looked away quickly, flashing him a grateful smile. 

“Did anyone hear about Mr. Erikson’s new health project?” Heather asked. Billy shook his head. 

“I heard he wants us to do something with babies,” Jonathan said looking a little green. Heather shook her head. 

“No, it’s an egg, we just have to pretend it’s a baby,” she said. 

“They’re only doing that because Ashley Campbell got pregnant last year,” Robin said.

“That’s going to suck,” Jonathan said. 

“An egg wouldn’t last two minutes in my house,” Billy agreed. 

“Good thing you don’t have to worry about it, seeing as you and Robin are still little baby juniors,” Heather crooned. Billy made a face at her and she laughed. 

“Five bucks says the whole thing ends with the seniors throwing their eggs at each other,” Steve muttered. He began picking the pepperoni’s off his slice and eating them one by one. 

“No way am I taking that bet, I’m already five bucks in debt to Buckley over there,” Billy said, nudging Robin again with his toe. She swatted at his foot. 

“What for?” Steve asked.

“I bet her Carol and Tommy H are done by Monday.”

“And I said Saturday,” Robin said. 

“Right, because of the party,” Steve agreed. 

“How am I the only one who forgot about the party?” Billy asked. 

“Because you’re the only one who’s been to a better one,” Robin said.

“Good point.” 

“Hey, no he hasn’t!” 

“Steve, he’s from LA,” Robin said pointedly. Steve grumbled but didn’t reply. Billy shrugged.

“LA, Hawkins; beer’s beer,” he said.

“Oh god, please tell me you guys aren’t going to compete for Keg King again,” Nancy groaned. Steve squirmed a little and Billy pressed a knuckle to his thigh until he relaxed. Nancy had broken up with him at one such party. He’d been competing with Billy for Keg King, and when he’d come out the loser Nancy had called him bullshit and broken up with him on the spot. She said it wasn’t because of the keg, and they knew it wasn’t (she had been cheating on him with Jonathan after all), but Steve still associated the two and he hadn’t been able to beat Billy since. 

Billy hated to think that Steve was still hung up on Nancy, but it was undeniably true. Even the general high school populace had begun to notice that Steve’s pull with the ladies wasn’t quite what it used to be. What’s worse was he’d started babysitting Dustin Henderson in his freetime. He claimed it was for extra cash but really it was just so he could see Nancy when he went to pick Dustin up from her house.

“What do you mean compete? There’s no competition; I win every time,” Billy said. Nancy rolled her eyes and stood up. She never was one to dignify anything Billy said with an answer. 

“Come on Jonathan, it’s time to pick up Will,” she said. It was code for “take me home right now” since Will was actually at Nancy’s house with Nancy’s little brother, Mike. 

“Sure,” Jonathan said, passive as you please. They collected their coats and were off with quick goodbyes. As soon as the door shut Billy slumped gratefully into the floor.

“God she’s such a bitch,” he said. 

“You probably shouldn’t have slept with her mom,” Heather said pointedly. 

“I did _not_ sleep with her mom!” Billy shot back. “I made out with her mom, there’s a difference.” 

“Still, I can see why she hates you,” Heather said. Billy frowned. He wasn’t proud of what he’d done, but in fairness to him he’d been fifteen and impressionable. 

“To be fair to Billy, it was much grosser on Mrs. Wheeler’s part,” Steve said. 

“Agreed,” Robin said. “A forty year old macking on a fifteen year old? Gross.” 

Billy shrugged, but hoped they didn’t see the burning in his cheeks. He was embarrassed, sure, but at the time he hadn’t realized exactly what the big deal was. At the time he’d been used to being hit on by older women, older men too, not that he said anything about that. It had taken a couple months of living in Hawkins before he’d realized that his experiences weren’t exactly universal. Or acceptable. For his part he preferred to leave the past in the past.

“Who cares about Mrs. Wheeler? I’m much more focused on who’s pants I’m getting into on Saturday” Billy jeered. Steve laughed, Heather snorted, and Robin looked pityingly at him. 

“I hear Vicki Johnson’s easy,” Steve said. 

“Oh yeah? You know from experience?” Billy asked, ignoring the pang in his chest. Steve huffed.

“Maybe.” 

“Well, now that we’ve established that all men are pigs shall we move on?” Heather asked. Billy rolled his eyes. 

“Whatever. If Jonathan and the princess are going I probably should too. Gotta pick up Max,” he said irritatedly. He stood up and brushed pizza crumbs off of Steve’s sweater. 

“You could be nicer to her, you know,” Steve said. Babysitting Dustin had made him much more sympathetic to the plight of the thirteen year old. It was annoying as hell. Billy had his own shit with Max, shit that he didn’t ever want to get into. The more she hated him the better off she would be in the end. 

“Yeah, and hell could freeze over.” He hunted around for his clothes and shoved them in his backpack. He said goodbye to the girls and he and Steve made their way to the front door which Steve opened for him. Billy was almost out the door when he stopped. 

“Wait, your sweater,” he said. Steve waved him off. 

“Just keep it. I’ll bring yours back on Monday,” he said. Billy nodded. Something warm and fluttery settled in his stomach. He refused to call it butterflies. 

“Thanks,” he said, unable to keep the smile off his face. Steve shrugged. 

“It’s just a sweatshirt, right?” 

Billy swallowed around the lump in his throat. 

“Right, yeah, of course. I’ll see you on Monday.” He stepped out into the night, fingers clenched hard on the sleeve of Steve’s sweatshirt. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I've got a vague idea of where I want to take this, but I'm totally open to suggestions. I kind of want this to just be an 80s slice of life fic, so I'm open to anything, even other POV's. I'm not sure how much (if any) of canon events I'm going to include. We'll see.  
> The main pairing is Billy/Steve, but Robin/Heather is endgame too, don't you worry.  
> The rating might change, so keep an eye out.


	2. He's Gotta Be Fresh From The Fight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title from Holding Out for a Hero (Bonnie Tyler).

On Monday Billy had bags under his eyes and a brand new set of finger shaped bruises on his wrist. He sat in his car and examined the bruises. They were dark and muddled purple and blue. Thankfully it was still cold and he pulled the sleeve of his jean jacket down over his wrist to hide them. He glanced up at the house and waited impatiently for Max to get in the car. Any longer and they’d be late for school, not that anyone would really care. 

Finally she flew out the door in a flurry of red hair and teenage angst. The passenger side door opened and she threw her backpack on the floor. 

“Hurry up I’m meeting Lucas before class,” she said. Billy’s fists tightened on the steering wheel. 

“First of all you’re the one who’s running late, and second of all what did I tell you about talking to Lucas?” He asked. 

“Like I was listening,” she said. Billy turned the key in the ignition and hard rock blared through the speakers. He turned it up to an ear splitting level and Max gave him a shitty look. He ignored her as he peeled out of their driveway and floored it down the street. 

“You’re such an asshole!” Max snapped. Billy just turned the music up louder. He peeled into the middle school parking lot and slammed on the brakes. Max shot forward, bracing herself on the dash so she wouldn’t hit it. 

“Screw you,” she snapped. She threw open the door and stomped out furiously. 

“See you later shitbird!” He shouted after her retreating figure. She’d left the passenger side door open and he had to lean over to grab it. Once the door was shut he turned down the music and let his shoulders drop. Then he pulled out of the parking lot and made his way to the high school. 

He was late, as expected, but Mrs. Chambers didn’t even look up from her desk when he walked in. The entire class had their heads down, pencils scribbling away at what appeared to be a pop quiz. Billy snatched one off of Mrs. Chambers' desk and made his way as obnoxiously as possible to his seat in the back. He slapped the quiz down on his desk and pulled out a pencil. It was easy, simple algebra. Billy could have finished it in five minutes but instead he sat around twirling his pencil, jiggling his leg, flicking the back of David Fetterly’s neck, and generally being a disturbance. Somewhere in the ten minutes of quiz time Billy finished the quiz, acing every question, but all anyone would remember was how obnoxious he’d been. 

When the ten minutes were over Mrs. Chambers collected their quizzes. She snatched Billy’s out of his hand with a look of pure hatred, to which he responded with a dazzlingly shitty smile. 

The rest of class was awful. Billy knew the answer to every question but Mrs. Chambers never called on him, not that he really wanted her to. The minutes ticked by, and with five left Billy stretched languidly and groaned as loudly as he could. Mrs. Chambers looked ready to snap.

“You are a nuisance Billy Hargrove! If there weren’t five minutes left I would send you to the principal’s office!” She hissed. Billy looked up at the clock and shrugged. He collected his things, hauled his backpack over his shoulder and started to walk out. 

“Where do you think you’re going?” She squeaked. Billy tossed his hair as he looked back at her. He knew what he looked like, dressed in all jean, long curly hair, eyes like the ocean, and lashes like a girl’s. He smirked at her and he could see Fiona Carson in the front row swoon a little.

“The principal’s office,” he said, and walked right out of her class.

Generally Billy was a piece of shit in school. He was smart, but he knew that being smart meant people paid attention to you. Being an asshole meant they didn’t look at you twice, which he much preferred. 

The juniors and seniors had lunch at different times, so when the bell rang for lunch Billy and Robin sat alone in their corner at the back of the cafeteria. He leaned back against the table so that his back was turned to the wall and he could look out at the rest of the high school populace. He winked at the pretty girls when they walked by and he smirked at the boys. Robin, completely unconcerned with his spread legs and fuck me eyes, worked her way through the lunch her mom packed her every morning. 

“Heard anymore about Tina’s party?” She asked. Billy shook his head. 

“Not much more to hear,” he said. 

“I guess that’s true.” Robin wasn’t used to being invited to things. Billy had been the first one to bring her along to a party and there she’d quickly decided that, even though there was nothing else to do in Hawkins, she was not a fan of high school parties. Billy couldn’t say he blamed her. In California there had been more purpose to the parties. They’d been at the beach, or in LA, or on the pier. In Hawkins they were always at somebody’s house, and there was always nothing to do but drink or have sex. 

“Are you really going to try to sleep with someone on Saturday?” Robin asked. She knew he was full of shit. It wasn’t that Billy didn’t like girls at all, he did, he just preferred guys. Unfortunately for him that didn’t mean much in Hawkins. 

“I mean, it’s been a while so probably,” he said. Robin frowned. 

“That seems wrong to me,” she said. 

“I’m horny, Robin,” he said. “There’s not much else I can do about it.” 

Robin frowned but didn’t reply. He didn’t want to argue with her about this. For all that he wanted more from his life than meaningless hookups he was still sixteen. He turned a little to face her more fully and watched as she picked at carefully cut carrot sticks.

“Bedsides, I can't just sit there and watch Steve make it with some girl,” he said, snatching one of her carrot sticks. He enjoyed the loud snap it made when he bit off the end of it.

“We don’t have to go, you know,” Robin said. “We can just go to the movies, or steal Steve’s beer and go down to the quarry?”

Billy shook his head. 

“Steve, Jonathan, and Nancy are all going. We can’t be the only ones not going.”

Robin threw her hands up in the air. 

“Who gives a shit, Billy? We’re in high school, none of this shit is going to matter in the long run.”

“You’re absolutely right,” Billy said. “But it matters now. I’m not just going to miss out on living my life because it won’t matter one day.”

Robin slumped in her seat. 

“You sound like a movie,” she said. 

“You would know.”

“Shut up,” she said, but it was teasing. 

Billy sat back again and looked out over the cafeteria. 

“Want to go see Terminator after school?” He asked. 

Robin stared at him. 

“I didn’t really think that would be your kind of movie,” she said. 

“And what do you think _would_ be my kind of movie?”

She shrugged. “Fast Times?”

“Oh god, don’t insult me. That’s totally a Steve movie,” he said. Robin would never admit it but Billy knew she secretly thought of Steve as Jeff Spicoli 2.0. 

“Yeah, sure, I’ll go see it with you. Are we inviting Steve and Heather?” She asked. Billy shrugged. 

“I don’t see why not.”

“For one, Steve’s not going to understand it,” Robin said. 

“Give him a break, maybe it’ll awaken something in his dead preppy heart.”

She snorted and sprayed chocolate milk all over the table. Billy grinned. 

Billy and Max had a system. Everyday after school Billy would go to the middle school. Sometimes they’d go home. Sometimes they’d go to eat. Most often they’d make plans for Billy to pick Max up at a certain place at a certain time. They never talked about what they were doing or where they went during the hours they were apart, but it worked for them. They had the freedom to do what they wanted as long as they were done by the agreed upon time. 

After Billy left Max for the day, he and Robin cornered Steve and Heather by Steve’s locker, and asked them about going to the movies. 

“A sci-fi movie? Who am I, Dustin?” Steve groused. 

“You can branch out, Steve. It’s not going to kill you,” Billy muttered. He watched people scuttle by them nervously. To say that the four of them were the most popular kids in school would be stretching things. For one, Robin wasn’t actually popular, she was just known for her association with them. For another, most of the guys in the school either hated Billy and Steve for sleeping with their girlfriends, or were jealously worshipful. It wasn’t quite popularity so much as it was respect, respect for the cool kids. The assholes with the hot bodies and the sexy clothes. They were invited to everything because if they weren’t invited no one else would show up. 

If Billy Hargrove and Steve Harrington weren’t going to a party then it must be a shit party. 

Heather was probably the only one of them who could be considered classically popular, as she was the only one who was actually well liked by other people. It was funny considering that of the four of them she was probably also the most classically bitchy. 

“Speaking of branching out, did you hear what Donna Radwell said to me during fifth period?” She asked. Billy raised an unimpressed eyebrow. 

“Do I look like I care about what Donna Radwell said?” He asked. 

“She explained the last chapter of 1984 to me without me asking and when I asked her why she did that, she said she wanted to help because she knew I needed it,” Heather fumed. 

“Isn’t that supposed to be nice?” Billy asked. 

“No, it means she just assumed I didn’t read it. She just assumed I’m an idiot and I can’t read the book myself!” She snapped. She looked around the hall. 

“That can’t be what she meant,” Steve said. 

“It was,” Heather said certainly. “I’m going to tell everyone she has chlamydia.” 

Billy snorted. 

“That seems a little extreme to me,” Robin said doubtfully. Heather sighed. 

“Look, Rob, I know you’re not used to catty bitches like Donna Radwell, but trust me, it’s not extreme. Last year she told Kyle Lewis that I put laxatives in Bonnie Freeman’s coffee so she couldn’t go to the Spring Formal.”

“Was it true?” Steve asked. 

“Duh, but that doesn’t mean she should be telling him about it,” Heather said spitefully. 

“What did you do to her for that?” Robin asked. 

“Nothing,” Robin said. “Everyone deserves one free pass, just to see what they do with it. Donna Radwell has chosen poorly.”

She flicked her Madonna hair over her shoulder. 

“Billy, I’m going to tell Katie Lochlin that you turned Donna down because she has chlamydia, and even you won’t touch that,” she said. Billy sighed. 

“Do I have a choice?”

“No.”

“Whatever.” He shut Steve’s locker for him. “Now are we going to the movie or not?”

Robin rode with Billy to the movie, and he could tell by the way she picked at her chucks that she was upset. 

“Is it what Heather said?” He asked. Robin glanced at him. 

“How did you guess?” 

“Because you’re the only one of us who isn’t a shitty person,” he replied. 

“You’re not a shitty person.”

“Even you don’t believe that,” Billy said, his smile wilted like a dying flower. 

“Billy, you’re not a shitty person. None of you are. You guys just make bad choices,” Robin said. 

“If you believe that then what’s the problem?” He asked. 

“It’s just- you know I like Heather,” she began. Billy nodded. “Well, if I just let her spread those rumors and do nothing about it then how am I supposed to consider myself a good person? She’s pretty, and I like her, so I’m letting her get away with this but I shouldn’t.”

Billy bit at the inside of his cheek. 

“You’re not a bad person for letting yourself be swayed by your feelings,” he said, but even as he said it he knew it was the wrong thing to say. He’d known a lot of people who let themselves be ruled by their emotions, people like his father, and few of them were any good. 

“I have to be better than that,” Robin said. 

“You’re sixteen.”

“I’m responsible for my actions.”

Billy sighed. “Look, if you want to try to talk Heather out of it, then fine, go ahead. But it’s not your fault if she doesn’t change her mind.”

Robin nodded.

“Sure,” she said. 

Billy didn’t push it. He was the last person who should be giving ethical advice. His ethics had always landed pretty solidly in the survival of the fittest column, and with that mentality all kinds of behavior was excusable. He tried not to think about it. 

They pulled up to the movie theater with five minutes to spare. Steve bought a jumbo bucket of popcorn, which he immediately shoved in Billy’s hands, and they hurried into the theater. Once inside they shuffled together into the very back row. Steve called it the bad kid row because every time he wanted to get up to trouble in a movie theater he sat in the very back row. Heather filed in first, then Steve, then Robin, and finally Billy shuffled in last. 

“I hope this movie isn’t shit,” Steve said as the lights went out. 

“Just watch the movie, dingus,” Robin said. 

Billy very quickly began to realize he should never have suggested this. It turned out that for all that The Terminator was an action movie it was also a hardcore romance. Billy wouldn’t have minded usually but it became abundantly clear very quickly that Steve was using the love story to charm the pants off of Heather. 

It started with whispering. It was soft and quiet and Billy had a hard time figuring out where it was coming from. When he finally did find the source he cheeks grew hot and his stomach clenched uncomfortably. Steve and Heather had their heads bent together and were whispering languidly. 

Then there was the rustle of clothing. Billy dared to look over Robin’s head and saw Steve and Heather halfway to making out, their legs pressed together, hands touching on the arm rest. 

Eventually there were soft sounds like lips meeting in the darkness. It began at the romantic climax of the movie. Sarah Conner and Kyle Reese started having sex in the motel room and Billy looked over just in time to see Steve and Heather with their heads bent together. Billy glanced down to see Robin sitting as far from them as physically possible, an absolutely miserable look on her face. 

Billy felt his cheeks heat again, only this time it was because he was pissed. They were supposed to be going to the movies as friends. Steve was sitting right next to Robin. It was completely unfair to subject her to this. Billy tapped Robin’s hand. She looked at him pitifully and he went to hand her the popcorn. Only as he did he purposefully knocked it against the armrest and upended the whole thing over Steve’s lap. 

“Shit!” Steve hissed. He and Heather leapt apart, and he brushed at the popcorn covering his crotch. 

“What the hell, Billy?” He whispered furiously. 

“Sorry,” Billy said, failing at doing his best to sound suitably contrite. Steve glared at him, but it appeared that popcorn was a suitable turn off, because he and Heather kept their hands off each other for the rest of the movie. 

Billy refocused on the movie and finished it in a trance. When Kyle Reese died, and Sarah ended the movie pregnant, he felt a kind of sympathetic pain. He didn’t want Kyle to die. He didn’t want Sarah to be alone. He knew what it meant to be alone, and he didn’t want that for her. 

Then the lights turned on and he shook himself. It had been a while since a movie had hit him that hard. He tried not to dwell on it. 

“Good movie,” Heather said. _You didn’t even watch it_ , Billy thought bitterly. 

“ _Great_ movie,” he corrected her. “I think I just found my costume for Tina’s party.”

“What? The Terminator?” Steve asked. Billy only hesitated a moment before nodding. 

“Duh,” he said. He would never admit, probably not even to Robin, that he’d really wanted to go as Kyle Reese. Kyle was the hero, the one who died in the end but who didn’t deserve it. If anyone deserved to be emulated it was Kyle Reese. But no, Billy was the Terminator, the villain, the monster, the heartless robot. He would have to dress appropriately. 

“Well I’m going as Tom Cruise from Risky Business,” Steve said as they walked out of the theater. 

“I’m shocked you’re not going as Jeff Spicoli,” Robin said. She and Billy shared a smile. 

“I mean, I guess, but Tom Cruise is way cooler than Sean Penn,” Steve said seriously. Billy bit back a grin. 

“It suits you Stevie,” he said, letting his arm flop down over Steve’s shoulders. 

“Yeah?”

“Yeah, we could call some hookers, trash your house, just to give it a little realism.”

Steve shoved at his shoulder and Billy laughed. They walked down the sidewalk still arm in arm, and Billy felt warm despite the persistent chill in the air. As long as he didn’t think about Steve and Heather making out in a dark theater he was happy. 

“Oh, can you take Robin home for me? I’m going to be late to pick up Max if I don’t hurry,” Billy said. Steve nodded.

“Sure, as long as you tell Dustin I’ll be late picking him up.” 

“He won’t mind,” Billy said. 

“Nah, he won’t.”

When they got to their cars Steve stopped Billy before he could leave.

“Wait a second,” he said. Billy watched as Steve pulled something out of the back seat of his beamer. It was Billy’s lifeguard sweatshirt. It was soft when Steve handed it to him and it didn’t smell like chlorine anymore.

“Did you wash it?” He asked. Steve shrugged.

“I wasn’t going to give it back to you dirty.” 

Billy nodded, fighting a smile.

“Thanks, Stevie,” he said. Steve clapped him on the back and got into his car.

“See you tomorrow!” He called as he and the girls sped off. Billy watched them go, and swallowed hard. He put the sweatshirt up to his face and breathed in deep. It smelled like Steve’s fabric softener, and a little bit like his cologne from having sat in his car. Billy ignored the pain in his chest and went to go pick up Max.

Max was outside but she was talking to Lucas Sinclair. Billy’s lips thinned in a grimace. He slammed his palm on the horn and they both jumped. Max flipped him the bird, but he knew she would come. 

He flipped through the channels until he found one she would hate, and turned it up just a little too loudly. She walked over to him the same way that Billy walked to the principal’s office. Bitter, swaggering, and pissed off. He leaned his head back against the headrest and smiled lazily at her. 

“Go tell Dustin that Steve’s on his way,” he said, flicking his sunglasses down over his eyes. It wasn’t even that bright out. 

“Why don’t _you_ go tell Dustin that?” She asked snippily. 

“Because that would require me stepping foot in the arcade,” he replied. Max’s eyes narrowed.

“You’re right. I wouldn’t want you giving anyone scabies,” she said sweetly. Then she was off, rushing back to the arcade even as he shouted after her. He slumped back into his seat and resigned himself to waiting the extra fifteen minutes it would probably take her to leave the arcade a second time. As he waited he saw a green pinto pull up outside the arcade. Jonathan got out of the passenger seat and headed inside. Billy looked closer and saw the infamous Joyce Byers sitting in the driver’s seat. Jonathan never said anything about it, but his mom was absolutely the town nut. Billy had only been there four years but he knew as well as anyone that Joyce Byers was crazy. 

A year ago her son had gone missing, and she’d been shouting down the police station about a government conspiracy. Will’s body had been found in the quarry and he was pronounced dead but then two weeks later there he was, alive and well and sitting in his usual seat at Hawkins Middle. 

Billy never asked what happened and Jonathan never offered. Sometimes he got the feeling that other people knew more than they let on, like when Nancy and Jonathan got especially quiet and talked only to each other. He had convinced himself that it was just usual high school romance crap, but sometimes he thought there was more to it. Whatever the case Will Byers was alive, Joyce was the town nut, and that was the new normal. 

Billy didn’t have to wait too much longer before Max was making her way back to the car with enough fire in her eyes to match her hair. 

“Let’s go,” she said shortly. 

“Trouble in paradise?” He asked as he shifted the car into drive. She didn’t look at him.

“You know, if that Lucas asshole hurt you I’ll kill him,” Billy said. 

“Why? You don’t even care!” Max shouted. Billy let his irritation take over; clearly it was going to be one of _those_ drives. 

“Yeah, well I’m still your fucking brother and if anything happens to you Neil will kill me,” he shot back. 

“Shut the hell up, Billy. You’re just an asshole, and I don’t care what happens to you!” She snapped. 

Billy would never admit, not even on his deathbed, that he felt the burn of tears behind his eyes, but he certainly did. His fists white knuckled on the steering wheel and he pressed harder on the gas. The car shot down the empty road and Max shouted at him to slow down. 

“Why?” Billy laughed. “You could give a shit if we crash, right?” 

Max slapped at his arm. “You’re going to get _me_ killed too asshole!” 

Billy saw the turn for Cherry Lane, and pulled a hard left. Max screamed as the car skidded across the asfalt, but Billy slowed down when they finally turned onto Cherry. Billy laughed as Max cursed at him, but inside he felt that all too familiar emptiness. He parked the car on the street outside their house so he wasn’t blocking the driveway and he and Max made their way inside, Max cursing all the while. 

“You’ve got a mouth on you,” he muttered. Max glared viciously at him and flipped him the bird. It was her favorite way to end an argument, after all. 

Stepping inside the Hargrove house was like stepping into a police station. Dread bubbled up inside and no matter how long you were there a constant low level anxiety stayed with you. The tension was thick and every move you made was calculated to create the lowest risk for yourself. 

Pissing off Max probably wasn’t smart, Billy could admit that. He knew that if Neil saw she was mad he would blame Billy. Unfortunately Billy couldn’t do anything about that now. All he could do was make himself as unassuming as possible and try to keep himself off of Neil’s radar. 

Neil was on the couch watching TV when they walked in. Max made a b-line for her room and Billy walked by as quickly as he dared.

“Wait.” Neil stood up, and Billy froze in place. He had no illusions about his life. He’d been trained to respond to anything Neil said with the appropriate amount of fear and so freeze he did. 

“Yes?” Billy asked, not quite looking him in the eye. Neil smacked him lightly on the cheek. It didn’t really hurt. It was a warning shot. 

“What did I say about respect, boy?” He asked. 

“Yes, sir?” Billy repeated, doing his best to keep the sarcasm out of his voice. Neil’s eyes narrowed dangerously but he didn’t hit Billy again. 

“What’s wrong with your sister?” He asked. Billy didn’t dare say Max wasn’t his sister. If anything was a sure fire way to get his ass handed to him, that was it. 

“I don’t know,” he said. Neil smacked him again, another warning shot. 

“She is _your_ sister which means she’s your responsibility. Next time she comes home pissed like that I expect you to know why,” he said. Billy nodded and did his best to keep the anger off his face. Neil fisted his jacket and shook him.

“What do you say?” He asked. 

“Yes, sir.”

Neil shoved him away. Billy stumbled, but caught himself. 

“Now go to your room. Do some homework or something,” Neil said sharply. He sat back down on the couch and once again his attention was absorbed by the TV. 

Billy didn’t need to be told twice. 

He hurried off to his room and shut the door carefully behind him. As soon as the door was shut he let himself relax and he slumped onto his bed, his whole body relaxing. He took off his jacket and his button up and took his lifeguard sweatshirt out of his backpack. He pulled it on over his head and just breathed. It still smelled like Steve but Billy knew it wouldn’t last. He settled back against the headboard, closed his eyes, and breathed. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still interested in any ideas you guys might have. You know what they say about teamwork!


	3. Everybody's Working for the Weekend

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title from Workin' for the Weekend (Loverboy).

On Thursday Billy and Steve bought a six pack off of Tommy H’s older brother and drove down to the quarry in Steve’s beamer. 

Steve parked right at the edge of the water and they set up shop on the hood of the car. Billy took a beer and cracked it open. It was shitty beer and tasted more like yeast than alcohol.

“This shit is disgusting,” he muttered. Steve shrugged. 

“It’s all Tommy’s brother had. I think their dad’s trying to stop drinking or something.” 

Billy sighed and leaned back on the hood. The sun was out today and even though it was still in the fifties he was more than willing to soak up what little sun he could. 

“You look like a blond cat,” Steve laughed. Billy stretched languidly. 

“Like what you see Stevie boy?” He asked. Steve shook his head and took a sip of his beer. 

“My dad warned me about girls like you,” he said. 

“What? Sexy as hell?”

“Nope,” Steve smirked over his shoulder at Billy. “He used the word loose.” 

Billy shrugged, unbothered by the accusation. Loose, easy, slutty, he’d heard it all before. Mostly from his father. Sometimes from his teachers. Occasionally from a girl who wrinkled her nose at the sight of him. He enjoyed sex, and he didn’t mind admitting it either. He might be loose, but at least he was enjoying his life. The sex part of it, anyway. 

“He’s just jealous he’s not getting any,” Billy said. 

“What about my mom?” 

“Exactly. Not getting any.” 

Steve snorted and shoved at Billy’s leg. 

“So what’s going on with you and Heather?” Billy asked against his better judgement. Steve was silent for a long moment, a moment in which Billy’s panic grew exponentially with every second Steve stayed quiet.

“I dunno,” Steve said. “We’re just fooling around I guess.” 

He sounded strange. Sort of like he did when he talked about Nancy and Billy didn’t like that one bit. 

“You know you can’t fuck around with Heather. It’ll completely screw up the dynamic of our group. You already made things weird with Nancy and Jonathan,” he said. Billy had been there when Steve and Nancy broke up. It was nasty. Graffiti was drawn on the alley behind the movie theater, Jonathan and Steve got into a fist fight, Nancy stopped speaking to all of them for a month. Billy never cared much for Nancy, and Jonathan wasn’t anything special to him, but Steve was and he had been upset on Steve’s behalf. He’d been the one to patch Steve up after the fight and it hadn’t been pretty. 

“I know, and I’m not trying to screw anything up, but I like her,” he said. “I like her a lot.” 

Billy frowned. 

“You liked Nancy a lot,” he said critically. Steve frowned at him.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” 

“I just mean maybe don’t rush into anything without all the facts. Sure, you like Heather now but what about a month from now? Do you think you’ll be able to stand the bitchiness on the regular?” 

Steve kicked at Billy’s foot. 

“She’s not bitchy,” he protested. 

“Steve, she told the whole school Donna Radwell has chlamydia because of some imagined slight. I’m not saying you don’t like her or anything. It’s just that the last person you were serious about was Nancy and she’s pretty much the opposite of Heather.” 

Steve looked out at the quarry. It was nothing but stone, water, and empty beer cans but it was the best they had.

“I guess you’re right,” Steve said. He took a sip of his beer. “But I was clearly wrong about Nancy, so maybe what I really need is someone like Heather.”

Billy bit back a groan. He thunked his head against the hood.

“Steve-”

“Why are you so against it anyway?” Steve asked. “What? You got the hots for Heather?” 

Billy snorted. “Absolutely not. I just don’t want to see the group broken up over something like this.” 

Steve waved him off.

“The group won’t break up,” he said. “Heather and I will be good together. We’ll never break up.” 

Billy glared at the back of Steve’s head. He’d set out to shut down this dangerous burgeoning relationship but all he’d succeeded in doing was getting Steve to dig his heels in deeper. Billy was absolutely sure that Steve and Heather wouldn’t last. They’d never be able to stand each other in the long run. For all that Steve claimed he wanted someone like Heather, a little bit bitchy and vain, he really wanted someone like Nancy; clean cut and marriage material. Also known as the opposite of Billy. Billy knew he and Heather were a lot alike. They were bitchy and everyone called them trashy behind their backs. Steve didn’t want that. He wanted someone he could impress his parents with. His stupid absentee parents that he was still obsessed with getting approval from despite the fact that they were only home three months out of the year at most. 

“Just be careful, okay? I don’t want this to go badly,” Billy said. Steve flashed him a glittering smile and Billy’s heart skipped a beat. 

“Don’t worry Billy. Nothing bad’s going to happen,” he said. 

Famous last words. 

They sat there drinking for a little longer but eventually Billy was forced to remind Steve that he had to go pick up Max. Steve tossed the last of the beer in his trunk and left the empties sitting on the pebbles in the quarry. They got back in the car and peeled out, pebbles skittering up behind the back wheels. 

“Heather and Robin are talking about getting our costumes on Friday. You going to come?” Steve asked. For all that he’d insisted Billy go to the party he knew it wasn’t a certainty. Billy nodded.

“Yeah, sure. I’m going to come on Saturday too, in case you were wondering,” he said. Steve smiled. 

“I knew you wouldn’t leave us hanging.” 

“Well considering you and Heather and Jonathan and Nancy are probably going to spend most of the night making out in Tina’s parents bedroom, I think the only person I’d really be leaving hanging is Robin,” Billy said. Steve got a knowing look in his eye, one Billy didn’t like in the slightest. Whenever Steve thought he knew something he was always wrong about it. 

“So you’re coming for her then?” He asked. Billy side-eyed him.

“I mean I guess. Mostly I just want to hook up with somebody,” he said. Steve nodded around a poorly concealed smile. Billy had a very bad feeling about that smile. 

“Yeah, yeah, of course. Any idea who you might want to hook up with?” He asked. Billy frowned. 

“Why would I have any idea about that?” 

“No reason,” Steve said. He was almost snickering. Billy sat up in the passenger seat. 

“Steve, what the hell are you thinking?” He asked. Steve shrugged. 

“Nothing, nothing.” There were a few seconds of silence, but Steve had never been good at keeping himself quiet. “It’s just- you and Robin, you’d make a good couple.” 

Billy choked.

“Me- me and _Robin?_ Are you joking?” He sputtered. The idea was absolutely ludicrous. For one thing Robin wouldn’t touch his dick with a ten foot pole. For another she was his best friend. He wasn’t about to try to sleep with her.

“Yeah! It’d be great! It’d be me and Heather, Jonathan and Nancy, and you and Robin! It’d be perfect,” Steve said. He sounded like he was already patting himself on the back for thinking of such a perfect cookie cutter ending. Billy stared at him like he’d grown an extra head. 

“Stevie, I say this with the utmost sincerity and with the hope that one day you’ll stop thinking for yourself: Robin and I will _never_ be a couple, okay? _Never_.” 

“Hey! Robin’s great!” Steve protested. 

“I know Robin’s great, that’s one of the reasons I’d never sleep with her. Not the only reason mind you, but definitely one of them. Robin and I are friends, Steve. We’re not going to ruin that by sleeping together,” Billy said. 

“It doesn’t ruin things,” Steve insisted. “Look at me and Heather, we’re doing great!” 

“Yeah, but look at you and Nance- wait, you slept with Heather?” Billy asked. A lump formed in his throat and he felt that familiar burning behind his eyes. He grimaced when Steve blushed and ducked his head. It was as good as a signed confession. 

“Yeah, well, don’t tell anyone all right? Heather’d kill me,” he said. “But she probably won’t care that I told you.” He didn’t really look sure about it. 

Billy stared down at his hands. Disgust warred with regret and defeat. He didn’t know what to think. Should he be disgusted that Steve and Heather had already slept together? Should he regret the fact that he never said anything to Steve and Robin never said anything to Heather? Should he just feel defeated? That’s really what he felt. Completely and utterly defeated. He knew he had no right to. He’d never said anything and what hope did he have of dating Steve if he never said anything about how he felt? Steve was a great guy but he was far from a genius. He needed to be talked to plainly and Billy had never dared. 

“Well I hope it doesn’t blow up in your face,” he said bitterly. Steve gave him a funny look. Billy knew his jealousy was showing but he was reasonably confident that Steve wouldn’t pick up on it. Steve never picked up on anything. 

“I already told you it won’t. Look, Heather and I are golden, all right? We’re going to be fine. Now all we gotta do is pair up you and Robin,” he said suggestively. 

“Lay off Steve!” Billy snapped. “It’s not going to happen.” 

Steve held up a surrendering hand. 

“Fine, fine. No you and Robin. That doesn’t change the fact that we need to find someone for the both of you. You’re starting to look a little sad, Bill.”

Billy couldn’t possibly imagine why. 

“We’ll see,” he said. He could practically feel his self destructive tendencies waking up. They’d laid mostly dormant since moving from California, since finding friends he trusted and cared about, but nothing bred self destruction like heartbreak. 

On Friday the four of them walked up down main street shopping for their Halloween costumes. Nancy and Jonathan had begged off. Something about a family dinner at the Byers. Billy thought they were probably hooking up somewhere. 

“So you're going Terminator, right?” Heather asked. She popped her gum obnoxiously as Billy leaned back against the back wall of the store. There were only so many places to shop for clothes in Hawkins. They could have gone to Indianapolis but Billy wasn’t willing to risk Neil finding out. Besides, Tina’s Halloween party just wasn’t a big enough deal to go all the way to Indianapolis. 

“Yup,” Billy popped the p. He stared at Heather as she looked through racks of clothes. He knew she was hot, he’d been attracted to her himself when he’d first met her, but he just couldn’t see her and Steve together. Sure they were both popular and conventionally attractive, but their personalities just didn’t mesh if you asked Billy. Nope, not at all.

“What is it?” She asked. 

“Hm?” Billy looked quickly up at her face. 

“You’re staring at me like you’re trying to burn a hole in my head,” she said. She picked a leather jacket up off the shelf and held it out to him. 

“I’ve got my own, thanks,” he said. She shrugged and put the jacket back. 

“So what’s up?” She asked again. 

“It’s nothing. Steve told me about you guys is all,” he said. Heather rolled her eyes. 

“I expected him to last longer than a day, but that’s on me for clearly expecting too much of him,” she said. Billy huffed a laugh.

“He meant well,” he said. “Told me not to say anything and all that.”

Heather sighed, a fond smile settling on her face. Billy’s gut twisted unpleasantly. 

“Look, no matter what Steve says it’s nothing big, you know? Just a little high school fun if you ask me. Steve’s a romantic. I’m sure he’s picturing white picket fences and two point five kids and all that, but that’s just not me,” she said. Billy frowned. 

“It’s not?” He asked. 

“No.” Heather shook her head. “I want to see the world. I want to go to LA, get drunk at a Madonna concert, make bad decisions. I want to flash a rock star, be an extra on a shitty TV show. I want more to life than Hawkins, Indiana.” 

Billy smiled despite himself. He’d always liked Heather. Like he said they had a lot in common.

“You’ll love LA,” he said. Heather flashed him a smile. 

“You think so?” She asked. 

“Sure. Everyone there dresses like Madonna. And there’s plenty of rock stars for you to flash.” 

Heather laughed, tossing her Madonna hair back. 

“Yeah, well, let’s not tell Steve about that one, all right? He’s got enough on his plate without worrying about me showing my tits to Steven Tyler.” 

Billy laughed, his eyes crinkling at the corner. He saw the cashier leer at him and he winked at her. Heather rolled her eyes. 

“Some women have no standards,” she said, her eyes teasing. Billy smirked. 

“What can I say? I’m devastatingly sexy. I just can’t help it,” he said. 

“Yeah, yeah, you’ve got sunshine in your skin and the ocean in your eyes. I guess some women find that attractive,” she said. 

Billy settled back against the wall with a smile. Heather huffed and stepped away from the rack. 

“I’m not finding anything here,” she said. “Let’s go down the street to Harper’s. I think Steve and Robin should be there.” 

Billy agreed and so together they left the store. Billy flashed the cashier a wink as he walked by. She practically melted into her desk and waved dopily at him. 

They walked through the bustling stretch of Hawkins main street. It, like the rest of the town, was small. Only about a mile long at most. Most of the stores in town sat along main street with some notable exceptions like the arcade and the diner. Heather walked down the street like she was walking down a runway. Madonna hair thrown back, head held high, and platform heels clacking against cracked sidewalk. Billy walked similarly, but with more swagger, and he puffed out his chest more. He couldn’t help it, he looked especially good today. He was wearing another one of his button-ups with more than half the buttons undone. He’d shown up with them mostly buttoned but Heather had tutted at him and popped three or four more before declaring him decent. 

“If they’re not here yet I’m buying their costumes for them, and I’m going to make sure they hate them,” she said. Billy snorted. He spotted Mrs. Cooper coming out of the drug store and shook his gold hair out. She smiled at him and he winked. Heather slapped him on the shoulder. 

“If you’re going to be seen with me I insist you aim higher,” she chastised. Billy rolled his eyes.

“The moms of this town have had a thing for me ever since they found out about me and Mrs. Wheeler. I have a reputation to uphold. I can’t tell you how much free food I’ve gotten from the horny Hawkins moms,” he said. Heather frowned. 

“You make it sound like prostitution,” she said. 

“I don’t actually sleep with any of them,” he said tartly. She raised an unimpressed eyebrow.

“Of course not. How could I have suggested something so blatantly out of character for you?” She asked. Billy waved her off and continued down the street to Harper’s. It was a small store with brand new inexpensive clothes styled in the fashions of five years ago. Heather typically never went anywhere near it but Halloween costumes were the exception since usually they were dressing up as someone who dressed eclectically to begin with. 

“You’re going as Madonna, right?” Billy asked. Heather nodded as she pulled open the glass door. 

“Of course. I already have the dress but I still need lace gloves,” she said. 

“Where’d you get the dress?” Billy asked. 

“My mom bought it for me for my eighteenth when my dad didn't show. It came with the boy toy belt and everything,” she said. She was smiling in that sort of satisfied cat got the cream way she did but Billy could see the disappointment in her eyes. It was something he saw often enough in Steve’s and even occasionally his own eyes. He hated to admit that his dad could still disappoint him but unfortunately he still wanted a father who was worth a damn. 

“There they are.” Heather pointed to the back of the store where Steve was rocking black suit jacket and Robin was wearing red pants and a white shirt. 

“What the hell is she supposed to be?” Heather asked. Billy squinted at Robin’s red and white ensemble. 

“I think she’s the chick from Raiders,” he said. Heather cursed under her breath. 

“Of course she is,” she muttered. She turned on her most winsome smile and called out to Steve and Robin.

“There you two are! Come on Robin, we’ve got to find a suitable costume for you,” she said. She looped her arm in Robin’s and led her back into the racks.

“But I-”

“Oh look a flannel! You could be Daisy Duke!” Heather carted Robin off and Billy gave Steve a once over. 

“Well look at you, Risky Business,” he said. Steve flashed finger guns at him because sometimes he was a disaster. 

“Yeah, and look at you, Billy on a slutty day,” Steve said. Billy rolled his eyes.

“Heather unbuttoned them,” he said. Steve snorted. 

“Sure she did.” 

“Whatever. My Terminator costume is at home.” 

“You already went shopping?”

“No, I just already own a leather jacket and tight pants,” Billy smirked. Steve rolled his eyes. 

“Yeah, no surprise there. Do you think Heather will actually get Robin to change her costume?” 

Billy shrugged, “If anyone can do it, it’s Heather.” 

He sat heavily on one of the couches they kept around the store for husbands and boyfriends. 

“Did Jonathan tell you what he and Nancy are going as?” Billy asked. Steve groaned. 

“Yes,” he said unhappily. “They’re going as Jake and Samantha from Sixteen Candles.”

Billy made a disgusted sound. “That’s so predictable,” he said. 

“I know.” Steve slumped down in the seat next to him. Billy patted his shoulder. 

“You don’t have to be embarrassed to still care about her,” he said. “It just means you’re a nice guy.” 

Steve shook his head. “No. I’m not a nice guy. That was sort of the problem. Nancy wanted a nice guy and Jonathan was that. I’m a douchebag, but I don’t really care. I tried to be better for her, but she just didn’t care. It wasn’t enough. It wasn’t genuine.” 

Billy picked at a thread on the old couch. He didn’t care that Steve was a douchebag sometimes. In fact it only made him more attractive to Billy. Clean cut guys like Jonathan were nothing short of boring. 

“You shouldn’t have to change for a girl,” he said. 

“Yeah, but what if I was changing for the better?” Steve asked. 

“I like you the way you are. So does Robin, and Heather,” Billy said. Steve frowned and so Billy went on. “Nancy is a nice girl and you’re right, she wanted someone like Jonathan and you weren’t that. But that doesn’t mean you’re a bad guy or that you’re not worthy of her. Nancy cheated on you Steve. She and Mr. Nice Guy Jonathan cheated on you. If anything she’s not worthy of you.”

When Steve smiled at him it was genuine and grateful, if a little sad. 

“You always see the best in me,” he said. Billy felt himself flush and he looked away.

“Someone has to,” he said. Billy could feel a different new kind of tension building between them. When he chanced a look at Steve he found Steve frowning at him contemplatively. He could swear Steve’s eyes flicked down to his lips but before he could investigate further an excited squeal announced the return of Heather and Robin. 

Robin was dressed in daisy dukes and a red flannel shirt. She looked both uncomfortable and cautiously optimistic. 

“What do you think?” Heather asked smugly.

“I think you look hot, Buckley,” Billy said. Robin flushed the same color as her shirt and shrugged. 

“Heather thinks it’s a better costume for the party,” she said. 

“She’s probably right about that,” Steve said. 

“Of course I’m right,” Heather scoffed. “Besides, Billy’s right. Robin looks hot.”

Billy had never seen someone’s face become besotted as quickly as Robin’s did in that moment. She was lucky that Steve was a moron and Heather wasn’t looking at her because she was being more obvious than Billy, and Billy spent most days with his legs splayed wide and inviting. 

“Thanks Heather,” Robin said. Heather wrapped an arm around her. 

“There’s no way I’m letting my best friend go to a party looking anything other than fuckable,” she said. “And besides, you have the perfect figure for Daisy Duke.” 

Billy was wrong. _Now_ he had never seen someone’s face become besotted as quickly as Robin’s did.

“Okay, so everyone come over to mine before the party. We can get dressed together,” Heather said. A funny look passed over Steve’s face and Heather rolled her eyes.

“I don’t mean literally,” she said. “I mean we can do hair and I can make sure you and Robin look acceptable.”

“What about Billy?” Steve asked indignantly. 

“Billy always looks hot,” Heather said dismissively. Billy reached up for a high five, which she gave him without looking. “That’s also why I’m not insisting on him picking his costume with us. I know he’ll look hot for the party.” 

“Of course I will,” Billy grinned. Steve flicked one of his curls so it flew across Billy’s face. Billy ignored him. 

“We totally could have picked our own costumes,” Steve protested. 

“Please. I leave you alone for five minutes and Robin’s dressed for Church and you’re wearing one half of a couples costume! If you didn’t look hot in Ray Bans I’d make you change,” Heather said pointedly. Steve gave her the doe eyes. 

“Are you going to be the other half of my couples costume?” He asked. Billy felt a little queasy.

“Fuck no. I’m Madonna baby,” Heather smirked. Good. Billy knew he could count on her. 

“Can we be done with this costume crap now? I have to go pick up Max,” Billy said. Heather sighed dramatically. 

“Your little sister is always ruining my fun,” she said.

“Mine too,” he said sourly. Steve smacked his arm. Billy held back a wince. It wasn’t Steve’s fault Billy had more finger shaped bruises today, and he definitely didn’t need to know about them.

“Be nicer to your sister,” he said. “I’m nice to Dustin, and Mrs. Henderson gives me cookies.”

“You’re like a trained dog,” Billy said disapprovingly. He wouldn’t mind a homemade cookie himself but he didn’t dare say so.

“You’re just jealous,” he said. Billy snorted. 

“Trust me Stevie, I’m absolutely not jealous.” 

He absolutely was. 

They collected their purchases and were making their way out of Harper’s when Heather shrieked. Billy whipped around.

“What?” He asked, eyes wide eyed. She held up two white lace gloves in her hand.

“Look!” She said gleefully. “Gloves!” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Steve. He makes bad decisions.


	4. She Has Danced Into the Danger Zone

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title from Maniac (Michael Sembello)

Billy had everything planned perfectly for Saturday. All he had to do was tell Max that she would be able to trick or treat without him and she was more than on board. They left the house at seven and he drove them straight to Mike Wheelers. Max didn’t get out right away though. Instead she sat in his car staring at the Wheeler house in her Michael Myers mask. 

“What is it?” Billy asked. She jumped and looked back at him like she’d forgotten he was there. 

“Nothing,” she said but still she didn’t get out of the car. Billy frowned. 

“What happened with Lucas the other day at the arcade?” He asked. Max looked back at him, her bottom lip caught between her teeth. 

“I know why you don’t like him,” she said. Billy frowned. 

“No you don’t,” he said. The way Max looked at him then, it was the most honest thing he’d ever seen from her. She did know. She had to. 

“I do,” she said. “I’m sorry but I really like him.” 

Billy looked out the windshield.

“Go on, enjoy trick or treating,” he said. He felt a warmth on his arm and he looked over to see Max with her little white hand at his elbow. 

“Thank you,” she said. It was so sincere. Billy shook her off, an uncomfortable feeling settling in his stomach.

“Go on,” he said again. Max smiled a little and then she was gone. Out the door and down the street to Mike Wheeler’s house. 

When Billy pulled up to Heather’s house Steve’s beamer was already parked in the driveway. Heather’s house was a big two story thing made of bricks and topped with a brown roof. Billy grabbed his backpack out of the backseat of his car and walked through the yard to the front door. He rang the doorbell and waited. Heather’s mother opened the door with a big smile and bigger hair. 

“Billy!” She cried. She pulled him into a hug and Billy made a face against her shoulder. 

“Nice to see you Mrs. Holloway,” he said as he did his best to keep his hair out of her reach. 

“Come on in hon, the kids are upstairs,” she said cheerfully. Billy had always thought the inside of Heather’s house was drab for someone who was so bubbly all the time. Her entire house was painted in shades of brown and green with cold tile floors and minimal light fixtures. Billy headed up the stairs at Mrs. Holloway’s insistence and knocked on Heather’s bedroom door. The door flew open to reveal Heather in a white dress with her most Madonna like hairstyle to date. 

“Hey Billy,” she said. “Come on in.” 

Heather’s room was more accurate to her personality then the rest of her house was. The walls were pink and white plaid and were covered almost entirely with magazine cut outs and posters. All her furniture was white and all her decor was pink or yellow.

A picture of Madonna wearing almost the same exact outfit Heather was currently wearing was plastered to the closet door.

Steve sat on the chair in front of Heather’s desk, flicking his Ray Ban’s up and down over his eyes.

“Move it hot stuff,” Heather said. Steve jumped out of the chair and Heather took his seat. 

“I was just telling Steve here that if Tina copies my outfit I’m planting weed in her sock drawer and calling her parents,” she said. Billy snorted.

“Very reasonable,” he said. Heather smirked as she teased up the last of her hair.

“I thought so.” 

“Where’s Robin?” Billy asked. 

“She’s in the bathroom,” Heather said.

“You know you’re not dressed very Terminator like,” Steve said. Billy looked down at himself. He was wearing his leather jacket but he had a button up on underneath. He shook his head at Steve.

“You have no imagination, Steve.” He pulled off his jacket and stripped off his shirt. Then he put his jacket back on and put on the fingerless gloves he got from his bag. He spread his arms wide and Heather wolf whistled.

“What do you think?” He asked. 

“I think you look even less like the Terminator now,” Steve said. 

“Hey, Schwarzenegger’s shirtless in the movie poster,” Billy said defensively. 

“And your hair?” 

Billy touched his curls self consciously.

“Over my dead body,” he said, standing a little taller. Steve rolled his eyes. 

“Relax Schwarzenegger, no one’s touching your precious mullet.” 

Billy wrinkled his nose. 

“It’s not a mullet,” he said. 

“It’s the definition of a mullet.”

“No, a mullet is when you have short hair in the front and on the sides and gross long hair in the back. This is just long hair,” Billy shot back. 

“But-”

“Steve,” Heather said warningly. “Let it go.” 

Steve grumbled but didn’t argue. Billy’s eyebrows shot up in surprise.

“Damn Steve. A week and you’re already whipped?” He asked. Steve narrowed his eyes and Heather put one gloved hand on his shoulder. She shot Billy a blindingly white smile.

“Of course he is,” she said. 

Billy snorted a laugh and Steve sighed his most beleaguered sigh. They milled around a little longer, mostly waiting for Heather to consider herself ready to go. Eventually Robin came back from the bathroom dressed in Heather’s very best impersonation of Daisy Duke. She wore the shorts and flannel from Harper’s, but Heather tutted at the state of her hair. It was styled the way Robin always did it; wavy and short.

“Won’t you just let me curl it a little?” Heather asked. Robin put her hands protectively on her head. 

“Absolutely not,” she said. “But I hope you know that if you had let me come as Marion, I would have let you style my hair.”

Billy thought that was probably a lie but Heather pouted outrageously anyway. 

“Are we ready then?” Billy asked. He was eager to get to the party, especially since he didn’t realistically know how much time he had tonight. He assumed Max could work her way home on her own, but he also knew that if she did he’d be in a world of hurt before morning. At the moment though it didn’t matter. He was going to Tina’s party and he was going to have a damn good time too. 

“I think so. Are we taking Steve’s car?” Heather asked. 

“Yes, that way I can drink,” Billy said, smiling wide at Steve. Steve rolled his eyes but didn’t argue. For all his blustering he didn’t mind looking after them. The older he got the more responsible he got and babysitting Dustin Henderson had given him all new ideas on responsibility. Billy, on the other hand, was still more focused on survival than responsibility. One day that would change and he would bet money that that day would be the day he moved out of the house on Cherry Lane. 

They left Heather’s house in the sluttiest versions of their Halloween costumes and piled into Steve’s car. Steve drove them down two streets, turned right at the third, then left, and then they were there. Tina’s house was big too but white and with a gray roof. The door was painted lipstick red, and it had been left wide open so people could come in and out without trouble. Someone had TP’d the lawn, maybe to make it look like mummy bandages or something equally stupid. 

Steve parked on the street and Billy and Heather stepped out of his car, breasts and chest on display as they strutted down the sidewalk and toward the front door. Steve and Robin trailed after them. Steve flashed smirking smiles at people he knew and Robin mostly kept her head down and her arms crossed over her chest. 

Warner Cutty rushed past them dressed in a bedsheet toga. He pushed Billy and Robin out of the way just in time to throw up red on Tina’s house’s walkway. 

“Lightweight!” Billy snapped as he balanced a teetering Robin. 

“Don’t worry, I’ll take care of him tomorrow,” Heather said, her eyes sharp and her nails sharper. 

They continued on inside where Tina greeted them at the door. Thankfully for her own sake she wasn’t dressed as wedding dress Madonna, but she was dressed in a Boy Toy jacket and styled up hair and too many bracelets and Billy saw Heather’s eyes narrowed to slits. 

“Nice jacket,” she said pointedly. Tina laughed stupidly because she was already drunk. So drunk she probably hadn’t noticed the dicks drawn on her living room walls. 

“Thanks!” She giggled. “Welcome to the party!” Her eyes were unfocused and dazed and when Heather pushed past her she fell in a heaping fit of giggles. 

“You going to take care of her too?” Billy asked. Heather flashed him a wicked grin.

“Obviously.” 

The party wasn’t much but it was a rager. The refreshments consisted of a punch bowl that smelled like vodka from several feet away and some saltines Tina had probably found in the back of her cabinet. Thankfully someone had taken it upon themselves to raid her kitchen and bags of chips and cold chicken nuggets were scattered all over the counter. Crushed beer cans and empty red solo cups decorated the floor. As Billy walked past the counter a girl dressed as Wonder Woman wrapped her arms around him and licked his neck. He shoved her off of him with a wrinkled nose and she moved on to the next guy who was much drunker and more receptive. 

“I hate this already,” Robin muttered. Billy wrapped an arm around her. 

“Fear not Buckley,” he said. “We’ll find something for you.” 

He led her outside and along the way lost Heather and Steve who stole away to fill red solo cups. Outside Tina had lined the house with bare bulb lights that showed off a big backyard and a keg. 

“Are you going to try the keg?” Robin asked. Billy looked back at her. She was looking around warily and he thought that if he left her by herself she might actually leave the party alone and he wasn’t going to let that happen.

“Nah. That can be somebody else’s job tonight,” he said. Robin smiled gratefully at him and they continued on until they found an outdoor freezer full of beer. Billy took one for himself and gave one to Robin. The cans cracked open with a hiss and Billy chugged his back. Robin nursed hers as Billy grabbed a second can.

“You might have more fun if you’re drunk,” Billy suggested. “This party’s kind of shit.” 

Robin shrugged. “I’d rather not be drunk around here,” she said. Billy got it. He’d known plenty of girls in California who didn’t like getting drunk at parties just in case. He’d even felt the need to stay sober himself more than once at some of the more unsavory LA ones. Fortunately for him Hawkins wasn’t exactly his idea of dangerous. At least not for him.

“Whatever you want,” he said, his voice completely free of judgement. Robin nodded and kept on with her one beer while Billy started on a third. 

Outside got boring fast. The music wasn’t as loud as inside and with everyone but Billy trying the keg it was lame too. 

They headed back inside where they found couples grinding and friends dancing drunkenly together. Billy caught sight of Jonathan and Nancy necking in the corner and he snorted as he pointed it out to Robin.

“Gross,” she laughed. They made their way to the kitchen counter where someone had drawn a middle finger pointing to the punch bowl next to the words _good shit_. Billy tossed his empty beer can to the floor and dunked a red solo cup into the punch.

“You want to slow down?” Robin asked. As much as Billy liked her he knew this wasn’t her scene, which is why he didn’t get mad that she’d asked. 

“Nah,” he said. He liked being drunk sometimes. It made him feel like shit in a different way. He chugged his way through the first cup and started to get fuzzy. He dunked the second cup and ignored Robin’s concerned gaze.

He looked around the room and noticed more than one set of eyes on him. He tossed back his second punch but his coordination was off and some of it dribbled down his chest. He smirked at a couple of girls who watched the droplets of red punch as they rolled down his abs to his waistband. Robin made a gagging sound.

“I’m going to go find Heather,” she said. “Have fun.” 

Billy was just drunk enough to let her go. 

“Thanks.” He slurred a little as he talked. A girl with playboy bunny ears made her way over to him. 

“I like punch,” she said. It had probably sounded better in her head. 

“So do I,” Billy said. He leaned down and kissed her sloppy and wet on the mouth. She moaned a little and he got bored. 

“Bye,” he said, leaving her with her eyes still shut and her mouth still moving. He headed back outside, thinking about maybe trying the keg now that Robin was off with Heather but Tommy H caught him before he could. 

“Billy!” He cheered, raising his arms and swaying a little. He was dressed like the bad guy from Karate Kid. Billy made a disgusted sound at the stink rolling off of Tommy. “Billy you gotta try the keg! Gotta out-keg Steve! He’s only at thirty-nine seconds man!” 

“Take a fucking shower dipshit,” Billy snapped. He shoved Tommy out of the way and Tommy fell into a couple who were halfway to third base. The guy was dressed like a caveman and the girl was dressed like slutty raggedy anne. The girl looked confused for a minute, before shrugging and starting to makeout with Tommy. Billy made another disgusted noise and went back inside. He wandered around the house, red solo cup in hand when he caught sight of Craig Dickinson dressed like David Coverdale from Whitesnake. He had a white shirt open to his belly button and blonde curly hair. Craig looked Billy up and down and caught him staring. He jerked his head back toward the bedrooms and Billy followed a good five feet behind him as they went. 

Craig shoved him through one of the doors and then shoved him again until Billy landed on the bed. Now _this_ is how Billy remembered parties were supposed to be. Drunken and hazy and with just enough dick to get by until the next one. 

They didn’t even talk. Craig crushed his lips to Billy’s, feeling up Billy’s ass in his tight pants and down his abs to his crotch. Billy moaned and tossed his head back so Craig could bite at his throat. 

“Turn around,” Craig said. Billy did as he was told and moved onto his elbows. Craig pulled Billy’s pants down and started fucking between Billy’s thighs. His coordination was off and he was so drunk he probably wouldn’t remember it tomorrow but Billy didn’t care. For now it was enough. Craig made weird panting sounds as he fucked and Billy got bored again. 

“Are you going to fucking finish or should I find a girl who can do me better?” Billy snapped. Craig's face grew twisted and angry and when he came it was little and sputtering. He made a noise like he’d reached nirvana but Billy was still bored and now his stupid heart kind of hurt too. 

“Want me to do you?” Craig slurred. One of his eyes was closed, and Billy shoved him away.

“Fat fucking chance,” he snapped. He wiped come off his thighs and pulled his pants up. Before he could button them the door opened and Steve stood there, Heather trailing behind him. Heather was a little stumbly but Steve had to drive and he was stone cold sober. Billy’s face turned red as he remembered that Craig probably still had his dick out. 

“What the fuck?” Steve asked. Billy sat frozen as Craig pulled his pants up and stumbled toward the door.

“He’s a shitty fuck if your gonna try,” Craig slurred. He walked past Steve out the door and then it was just Billy, and Heather and Steve were staring at him and he didn’t know what to do. They’d probably been looking for a place to hook up before they found him. Shame and jealousy warred inside him, his face burned and his heart clenched and his stomach dropped. He couldn’t feel his arms or maybe that was the punch. 

Finally he buttoned his pants and stumbled past them without saying a word. He walked down the hall looking for the bathroom. He wasn’t hard anymore but he needed to use the john. He thought Steve was probably following him so he didn’t turn around. He got turned around though, or maybe he walked past the bathroom without realizing, because he found himself outside again. He groaned and walked past the keg and back inside. 

Inside he saw a flash of daisy dukes around pale legs and red flannel and headed toward them like a beacon. He shoved through the crowd and found Robin pressed against George Fetterly. He had her wrists in his hands and she was trying to shove him off of her. 

“Come on, just a kiss Daisy,” George slurred. Billy felt rage fill him. The kind of rage he’d inherited from his shitheel father. He ripped George away from Robin and punched him square in the face.

“Lay off asshole!” He snarled. George shook himself, his vision clearing as the punch sobered him up. He looked at Billy with new disdain. George was six and a half feet and a linebacker for the Hawkins football team. He towered over Billy, twice his height and three times his width.

When George punched Billy, Billy didn’t get back up. So George got down. He sat on Billy’s stomach and punched him until blood filled his mouth and blurred his vision. Somebody was shrieking, probably Robin, and eventually half a dozen arms wrapped around George and pulled him off of Billy. Billy let himself roll around a little on the floor, arms searching for purchase against anything solid and not stumbling or fumbling. He felt a hand grab his and looked up to see Steve’s worried brown eyes looking down at him.

“Come on, Billy,” he said. He pulled Billy up into a stand and Billy shut his eyes as the room spun around him.

“I’m gonna throw up,” he slurred. A warm hand rubbed his back.

“Well let’s get you out of here before that happens, then.” That was Heather. It was nice that they were still talking to him. He thought maybe they’d be done with him after what they saw in the bedroom. Live and learn. 

Steve dragged Billy out of Tina’s house. His face hurt and he wondered how angry his dad was going to be when he showed up like this. There was no way he could say he had been trick or treating with Max now. Nobody would buy that. He was drunk and beat to shit. Worse, he knew his night wouldn’t end with this. His dad was going to see his face and take it as permission to do worse and blame it on the fight. 

Billy opened his eyes when his ass hit the leather seats inside Steve’s beamer. 

“Taking me home Stevie?” He asked, eyes on the ceiling. 

“Not yet,” Steve said. Billy felt a hand in his and looked down to see Robin’s worried eyes looking up at him. She had so many freckles on her face. Billy had never noticed before. 

“Freckles,” he said, eyes on Robin. Robin smiled a little.

“Yeah, Billy,” she said. “I have freckles.” 

“I do too,” Billy said.

“You do,” she reassured him. It was nice, being reassured. 

“Where are we going?” He asked. 

“Steve’s,” Robin answered. 

“Is he all right, Rob?” Heather again. 

“Yeah, just really drunk. I actually don’t think his face is that bad. George was too drunk to hit him right.”

“Thank God,” Steve muttered. Billy looked out the window as the trees whipped by. There were so many colors in Hawkins. California had three colors. Blue, beige, and (very rarely) green. Blue for the sea, beige for the sand, and green for the one month out of the year when it rained enough for the grass to grow. Billy missed the blue and the beige but he liked how many colors there were in Hawkins. There was red and brown dirt, green grass, trees in all kinds of shades. His first fall there - when he’d seen the leaves change and entire forests full of red and orange and yellow - had been the first time he hadn’t missed California so bad. The ache in his chest had subsided a little. 

It had almost disappeared when he’d met Steve. Steve with his goofy hair and his smile like he didn’t quite understand what you were saying and his laugh like he was really genuinely happy. Billy didn’t know how to be happy like that but he liked that Steve could be. 

“Come on Billy, up you get,” Steve said. Billy hadn’t realized the car had stopped. He turned his torso toward Steve and stumbled out of the car. Steve wrapped an arm around him and helped him to the porch.

“Wait,” Billy said suddenly. Steve froze in place. 

“What?” He asked. Before he could say another word Billy turned to the side and hurled into the grass. Steve sighed but didn’t yell at him which was nice. 

“You get it all out?” He asked. Billy shrugged. 

“I had a lot of punch,” he said. Steve sighed again.

“Of course you did.” 

Steve dragged him to the couch and Heather put a trash can next to his face. Robin appeared out of seemingly nowhere with Steve’s gently used first aid kit in hand. Billy watched warily as they took out the hydrogen peroxide and some cotton swabs.

“This is going to sting,” Robin warned him. Billy shrugged.

“Can’t hurt worse,” he said. She got that funny sad look on her face that she sometimes got when they watched horror movies where everybody died. He didn’t like watching them with her because they made her sad so he watched them with Steve instead. 

“Sorry you’re sad,” he said. Robin sucked in a breath and began dabbing the cotton swabs over his cuts. 

“It’s ok,” she said. “It’s not your fault.” 

That was nice. It was usually his fault. 

“Steve saw,” he said. He wasn’t sure if Steve and Heather were still there, but he had to tell Robin. She shushed him gently.

“We’ll talk about it tomorrow,” she said. Billy shook his head and tried to get up. Robin pushed him back down against the couch.

“I have to go home,” Billy said. 

“You can’t go home like this. You’re too drunk to drive.”

“Then I have to tell my dad,” he said. 

“You’re too drunk for that.”

“Then I have to tell Max,” he insisted. Robin sighed and looked behind him over the back of the couch. 

“All right, we’ll call Max. Where is she?” She asked. 

“Nancy’s,” Billy said. 

“Steve’s on it,” Robin assured him. Billy nodded. His brain felt fuzzy and his body was sore and tired. He could feel the edges of unconsciousness sneaking in around his eyes but he couldn’t let it take him yet. He grabbed Robin’s wrist tight so she’d look at him.

“Tell her not to go home,” he said fiercely. Robin frowned. 

“What?” 

_“Tell her,”_ he insisted. Robin nodded.

“All right Billy, we’ll tell her. It’ll be fine, all right? I promise, it’ll be fine.”

It would never be fine, but it was nice to hear her to say it. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Billy is having the worst night, and he's not out of the woods yet. Stay tuned!
> 
> In other news I finally have a firm(ish) grasp on where the plot is going and I've outlined the next like 10 chapters so hopefully updates will get much more regular.
> 
> Also as of this chapter the rating is a hard E. Nothing fancy, but sex and bad decisions is definitely grounds for an E.


	5. I’m Alright (Nobody Worry ‘Bout Me)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title from I'm Alright (Kenny Loggins)

Billy woke up with the worst headache of his life and an all consuming feeling of dread. Thankfully Robin was there to make him feel better.

“You’re kind of an idiot,” she said fondly. Billy squinted, barely able to see her over the pounding behind his eyes. 

“I don’t need to be told,” he replied bitterly. She rolled her eyes and wrung her hands together.

“How much do you remember from last night?” She asked. Billy shut his eyes as a wash of memories hit him at once. He remembered most of it. Unfortunately some details were a little hazy. 

“I punched George Fetterly,” he said. Robin nodded.

“Yup. Thanks for that by the way.”

Billy nodded. 

“And I hooked up with Craig Dickinson,” he groaned at his own drunken stupidity. Robin nodded a second time.

“Right again lover boy. I’m sure that was pleasant.” 

Billy didn’t remember much, but he was certain that it had been anything but pleasant.

And then it hit him. The real reason for the feeling of utter dread and despair.

“Steve saw me,” he said suddenly as the fog in his mind finally cleared. Robin sighed, her face the picture of sympathy. 

“Yeah, he and Heather both did.” 

Billy felt an ugly twisting in his gut. He looked around and realized that at some point in the night he’d been moved to Steve’s bed, meaning that Steve had deigned to sleep on his couch. Maybe he wasn’t as pissed as Billy thought he would be.

“What do I do?” He asked, his voice quiet and a little terrified. Robin put a hand on his arm to calm him. 

“Neither of them have even mentioned it. I don’t think they care,” she said. Billy put his head in his hands.

“It’ll be fine, Billy,” she said earnestly. “They’re your friends. They love you. They won’t abandon you.” 

He looked at her sharply. She knew him so well and sometimes it was terrifying. She knew how he felt. She knew partly because she felt the same, and partly because she just knew him. The way only the closest of friends could. Billy had never really had friends like her before, like Steve and Heather too. They cared about him in a way that was just as foreign to him as it was true and tireless. He dropped his hands from his face and held out a hand to Robin. She took it and squeezed it gently, careful to avoid the bruises on his knuckles.

“Thank you,” he said. She nodded but she looked hesitant.

“I’ve been thinking about coming out to them,” she lied. Billy shook his head. 

“No, Robin. You don’t have to do anything. You don’t have to come out in solidarity with me because I was stupid and got caught. You don’t owe me anything here. Just- when you’re ready, okay?” 

Robin nodded. He could tell she was relieved and he was glad. He didn’t want her doing something so drastic just to make him feel a little better. He might have felt better if he’d had someone to help him face Steve and Heather, but he would never pull Robin under the bus like that. He’d never ask her and he’d never let her either.

Robin looked down at their hands. 

“The thing with Craig….” She trailed off and Billy didn’t want to say anything about it but he knew he had to. She wouldn’t press him but he owed it to her to talk. 

“Just do me a favor and don’t do anything I do,” he said, laughing a little in self deprecation. Robin frowned. 

“Billy if you didn’t want it-”

Billy shook his head, “No, nothing like that. I wasn’t saying no, believe me. It just wasn’t what I really wanted.”

Robin nodded. 

“You wanted Steve,” she said. Billy looked up at her sharply. Of course he’d wanted Steve but he knew that he’d never have him.

“It doesn’t matter what I want,” he said. Robin gave him a pitying look, the kind that he hated.

“Billy, of course it matters,” she said. She leaned down as she looked at him and Billy was struck by how much she looked like his mother; the light haloed behind her head like the sun. He shook his head but she only held his hand tighter. 

“Just because you can’t have it right now doesn’t mean what you want isn’t important,” she insisted. Billy sighed and sat back against the couch. 

“Robin-”

“No, no excuses. I want you to understand that. What  _ you _ want is just as important as what anybody else wants,” she said. “Maybe more, if you ask me.” 

Billy felt his chest grow tight and there was a burning behind his eyes that he refused to acknowledge. 

“Fine,” he said, unwilling to say more. Robin sighed but didn’t push. She patted his hand and pulled herself up. 

“We’re making breakfast downstairs. I’ll go get you some water. As soon as I leave Steve’ll probably be in here, though,” she said. Billy nodded.

“That’s all right.” 

Robin pursed her lips but didn’t say anything, just got up and started to walk out. She paused in the doorway. 

“Oh, and Billy?”

“Yeah?”

“There’s a difference between saying yes and not saying no.”

Billy looked away from her. He didn’t respond- couldn’t really. If he did then he’d have to acknowledge why her words hurt him so badly and he wouldn’t let himself do that. He was stronger than that. He didn’t need to talk to her. He knew the rules of sex but he’d never really been great at following rules. He preferred to make his own way and so what if that meant mediocre sex with a drunk asshole in Tina’s parents bedroom?

Not even five minutes after Robin left Steve arrived with a glass of water and a frown. 

“You look like shit,” he said, setting the glass down on his bedside table. Trust Steve to always tell him the truth. 

“What else is new?” Billy grumbled. Steve chewed on his cheek as he looked down at Billy. The tension between them was thick and uncertain. Billy, now fully aware that Steve had seen him with Craig Dickinson, was waiting for the reproach, for the disgust and the anger and all the usual reactions. 

“Craig didn’t like... hurt you did he?” Steve asked. Billy looked up at him, hopelessly confused.

“What?” 

“Well, it’s just-” Steve cut himself off, clearly uncomfortable at the idea of extending this conversation any further.

“It’s just you didn’t look very happy when we found you,” he finished lamely. Billy, who had never experienced anything remotely so kind and concerned in his life, had no idea how to respond.

“No, I- I’m fine,” he said. Steve didn’t look like he was buying it so Billy took a breath and started over. 

“I’m not hurt, he didn’t hurt me or anything. I was- okay with it,” he said. Steve still looked unconvinced but he didn’t press the issue any further. 

“Well I’m glad,” Steve said. “That you’re not hurt, I mean. I-” he wrinkled his nose, “was worried.” 

Billy couldn’t help the small smile that stretched languidly across his lips. 

“You were worried about me?” He asked. Steve huffed and crossed his arms, his eyes going cagey in that way they did when he was confronted with what he referred to as “girl emotions.”

“Yeah, I was. I was worried I’d have to get into a fight with Craig Dickinson, and then I’d be getting my ass beat too.”

Billy stood up and took a step closer to Steve. Steve was just the littlest bit taller than him but Billy didn’t mind because it meant that Billy could look up at him through his lashes when he talked. 

“I don’t need you defending my honor, Stevie. Or whatever’s left of it.” 

Steve’s eyes dropped down to Billy’s lips for half a second and Billy’s smile grew into a smirk. He stretched his arms wide, popping out his chest and groaning at his sore muscles. He didn’t imagine the way Steve’s eyes shot down to his bare bruised chest. Billy turned on his heel and picked up the glass of water. He took a sip and then handed it to Steve.

“Thirsty, Steve?” He asked. Steve took the water with a dumbfounded look on his face, and Billy walked out of the room smirking. He jogged down the stairs, a little extra pep in his step, and found Robin waiting at the bottom. She raised an eyebrow at his jovial expression.

“You know he’s still staunchly heterosexual and dating our other best friend, right?” 

Billy shrugged, “All things that can be fixed.” 

Robin rolled her eyes and together they headed to the kitchen where they found Heather slathering some almost burnt toast in butter and jam. There were pots on the stove that she staunchly ignored in favor of the toast. 

“I told you, you have to watch the bacon,” Robin chastised. Heather shrugged, deliberately unconcerned. Billy sat in front of her and snatched a piece of toast. She shot him a bland look.

“Don’t think you’re getting any free food from me just because you’re all beat to shit,” she said. Billy took a large bite, chewing loudly. 

“Of course not,” he said around a mouthful of bread and strawberry jam. Heather wrinkled her nose. 

“Also, you should’ve told me you’re gay.” Billy’s heart stopped for half a second. He saw Robin stutter as she flipped over a piece of bacon. Then Heather whacked him on the nose with a piece of dry toast.

“Friends don’t keep secrets like that from each other,” she said. Billy looked away. He wanted to tell her that it was hard enough for him to live with it, much less for him to tell anyone. He wanted to say that he wasn’t sorry for keeping it a secret, that it had to be that way, that he couldn’t risk his dad finding out, or being outed to the town. He couldn’t risk his life like that, because that’s what it was, a risk to his life. 

He didn’t say any of that, though. Heather was a friend to him, a good friend. She might not understand the stress such a secret put him under but she did care about him. He couldn’t make her feel bad for caring. 

She must have seen something on his face because she sighed and put the toast down.

“I’m sorry that we found you with Craig. I know that couldn’t have been pleasant. I just want you to know that I still love you, no matter what,” she said, sounding all too much like a parent. Billy looked up at her big earnest brown eyes and nodded.

“Thanks,” he said. She smiled and shook her head at him.

“Besides, I already knew.” 

Billy looked at her skeptically.

“You did not.”

“Of course I did. You make fuck me eyes at everyone you see, girls and guys both. I could see the signs a mile away.”

His cheeks turned pink and he saw Robin’s shoulders shaking with hidden laughter in the corner. He could admit that he probably hadn’t been hiding it as well as he should have but it was for a good reason. He was technically known as the town bicycle and leering at everyone he met was part of the gig. 

“Thanks, Heather,” he said sarcastically. She shrugged. 

“Everybody needs someone to give it to them straight. Or, not so straight in your case.” 

Billy dropped his head into his hands and groaned. 

“Is breakfast ready?” Steve had arrived and with him came a new wave of dread for Billy. Suddenly he realized how impossible a relationship with Steve really was. Not only because he wasn’t sure if Steve could even like men but also because Steve was dating Heather and Heather was Billy’s friend. He couldn’t do that to her. Especially not now, not with how kind she was being to him. He dropped his hands and caught Steve already looking at him. Steve’s cheeks turned pink and he grabbed a piece of toast and took a big bite. 

Maybe Steve was already starting to question his choices but if he was then Billy would have to leave it up to him. He couldn’t get involved himself because if he did then that would mean he was trying to steal Steve from Heather. He couldn’t- wouldn’t do that to her. If one day his wildest hopes and dreams worked out and he and Steve ended up together he didn’t want to lose Heather along the way. 

“So, how bad am I going to get my ass kicked today?” Billy asked. He watched as Robin laid out bacon and eggs on a big platter for them all. She gave them all plates and when he took a couple pieces of bacon she gave him a flat look and shoveled eggs onto his plate as well.

“What do you mean?” Steve asked, shovelling bacon into his mouth.

“Well I’m assuming George Fetterly is going to want to finish what he started.”

Heather’s smile grew sharp and she snapped a piece of bacon in half. 

“I’m taking care of it,” she said ominously. Billy chewed uneasily on his eggs. 

“What does that mean?” He asked. “You know if anything happens to George he’s just going to say the fight was my fault. I don’t need another thing like that on my record.” 

Heather waved at him dismissively. 

“Don’t worry about it,” she said. “Like I said I’m handling it. I’m also handling Tina and Warner Cutty.”

Right, the girl who’d also dressed as Madonna and the guy who’d bumped into Billy and Robin. 

“I’m really glad I’m not on your bad side,” Billy said. Heather snorted. 

“You have no idea.” 

They’d changed and showered and packed for school when Robin cornered Billy in Steve’s room.

“I need to ask you something,” she said. Billy twisted his lips, he had a feeling he knew what this was going to be about. 

“Look, if you want to tell Heather you’re a lesbian you probably should. Clearly she doesn’t care, and hey, you can’t make progress in the romance department if she doesn’t realize you could be interested in her,” he said. Robin cocked an eyebrow at him.

“What? No that’s not what I- look I know you’re right and I’m thinking about it but I need to make that decision in my own time.” 

Billy nodded his agreement. 

“But that’s not what I want to ask you about,” Robin said. 

“Then what do you want to ask me about?”

She frowned and her gaze shifted to look at the mottled bruises on his cheek. She reached up to touch them gently and Billy had to stop himself from flinching. 

“I really am grateful, you know,” she said. “I don’t even want to think about what would have happened if you hadn’t been there.” 

Billy looked away. He was ashamed to think that he’d left her alone at all. 

“I shouldn’t have left you alone,” he said. Robin sighed. 

“You can’t always be by my side, Billy. You have your own life to live. I don’t blame you for wanting to have some fun of your own. Honestly, I’m kind of a buzzkill at parties. I didn’t want to ruin your good time.” 

Billy shrugged. 

“Wasn’t such a great time to begin with,” he said. Robin nodded. She dropped her hand from his face. 

“I need to ask you, why did you want me to keep Max from going home last night?”

It hit Billy like a bulldozer. Of all the things he’d expected them to confront him about that had been the very last one. 

“What do you mean?” He asked. Robin’s frown deepened. 

“You told me to call Max and make sure she didn’t go back to your house last night. Why?” 

Billy could tell her the truth. He could tell her that he was worried that with no Billy to take his aggression out on Neil might have tried to beat on Max. He could tell her that he was still worried he was cruising for a bruising because he’d never come home and he’d obviously left Max alone on Halloween. He could tell her that Neil was going to be seriously pissed and that the longer Billy delayed the inevitable the worse the beating would be. 

He didn’t. 

Instead he said this: “I was supposed to be watching her last night. If she went home without me her mom would be upset. She doesn’t like Max going places by herself. That’s all. Easier to have her stay at a friend’s until I can square things with Susan.” 

Robin didn’t buy it, Billy could tell, but she didn’t push him. She sensed there was more to this and she knew that if he was lying to her then it was important, deadly important. Billy didn’t keep secrets from her. Period. 

“All right,” she said. They both knew she was lying. Billy looped an arm around her shoulders and dragged her out of the house after Steve and Heather.

“Come on, Buckley,” he said. “Let’s see how much damage we’ve done.” 

Heather had done some serious damage to George Fetterly. As soon as Billy walked in the door to Hawkins High Tina rushed up to him, apologies streaming from her mouth. 

“I’m  _ so _ sorry, Billy. I had  _ no _ idea what kind of a dick George is. I totally regret ever asking him to go to my party. I  _ swear _ it’ll  _ never _ happen again. I’m never inviting him to another one of my parties  _ ever _ . I  _ swear _ .” 

Billy raised an eyebrow. 

“Cool,” he said, unsure of what else there was to say. Tina’s eyes flashed over to Heather and her face got nervous again. 

“Are you super sure it’s okay? I swear I can like call my parents and pay for the hospital bill or something,” she said. Billy had seen how trashed Tina’s place was when they arrived at the party. He had to imagine that however trashed it was by the time the party was over was more than enough punishment for poor Tina. Tina, whose biggest sin was dressing like Madonna. 

“Don’t worry about it,” he said. “Not your fault.” 

She looked deeply relieved and Billy found himself wondering what Heather could possibly have said to her. He didn’t think he wanted to know. 

“Can I just ask you a question, Tina?” 

“Sure! Anything!” 

“What are you apologizing for?” 

“Oh.” Tina looked taken aback. “I mean obviously for George beating you up at the party-” Billy winced. He tried to look at it as more of a fight than a beat down. It was more dignified. “But also because I had  _ no idea _ that George was a suspect in the investigation for that missing kid from a couple years ago, or that he got kicked out of his last school for like almost killing a guy. I totally  _ never _ should have invited him to the party.” 

As far as Billy knew George Fetterly had always gone to Hawkins High. He might have even lived in Hawkins his whole life. He’d certainly lived there longer than Billy.

Heather was some kind of mastermind. Billy glanced back to see her smirking at him with a very self satisfied look on her face. 

“Thanks Tina,” Billy said. She nodded enthusiastically and walked off, making sure to keep a wide berth around Heather. 

“I don’t even want to know what you did to Warren Cutty, do I?” Billy asked. Heather shrugged, examining the bangles on her wrist. 

“Warren threw up in his dad’s car last night. He’s grounded for eternity,” she said. 

“Did he really throw up in his dad’s car?” Steve asked. Heather shrugged. 

“Ask anybody.” 

Billy rolled his eyes. 

“Why do you even ask, Steve?” 

The day was nice, if a little strange. Instead of watching Billy warily as he walked by most of the school congratulated him on beating up that asshole George Fetterly. It wouldn’t last, this congratulatory ceasefire. In the minds of the people of Hawkins, Billy was still that guy who would sleep with your mom, your sister, and (rumor had it) even your brother just to fuck you over. They’d forgotten for now on the word of Heather Holloway but even Heather couldn’t change a reputation like that. Besides, Billy didn’t really mind his reputation. It kept people out of his business and he liked that no one would fuck with him. It made things a little more peaceful. Getting beat on at home was enough, he didn’t need it at school, too. 

Still, the peace could only last so long. Billy picked up his car from Heather’s house after school and then went to pick up Max. He found her at the middle school but when he told her to get in the car she made a face. 

“Neil said I can go to the arcade today after school. Steve’s driving us,” she said. Billy felt a terrible sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. Neil told Max she could stay out. He told her so she wouldn’t be home when Billy got back. 

Max gave him another one of those looks, the ones that meant she knew more than she was letting on. Neil had never hit Billy in front of her but he had hit Billy in front of Susan and Max wasn’t dumb. She probably knew to some extent what would happen when Billy got home. 

Billy was jealous, in a way, that Max would never have to deal with what he did. That she’d never have to steal makeup from her mom to cover a bruise, that she’d never have to find a way to skip gym because her ribs were bruised, that she’d never have to sleep in her car just to avoid her own father. 

For however jealous Billy was, he was doubly glad that Max would never  _ ever _ have to face any of that. He couldn’t help the jealousy but he was disgusted by it. He would never let anything happen to her, no matter what he felt. 

“You going to be okay?” Max asked. Billy nodded absent mindedly. He was already thinking about how the night would go. More likely than not he’d be out of basketball for a little while. Steve would ask questions and then Heather and Robin would ask more questions. He could always pretend he’d been more hurt in the fight with George Fetterly than he’d let on though, so it would probably be okay. 

“Yeah,” he said. “I’ll be fine.” 

Famous last words. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dun dun dun.....


	6. Thou Shalt Not Kill Thou Shalt Not Die

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title from Cry Little Sister (Gerard McMahon) - the theme from The Lost Boys
> 
> This chapter contains a Neil Hargrove Warning for child abuse.

As Billy drove home the sky turned dark and the wind started to howl. It looked like it was going to be another one of those cold Indiana nights. Might even be a storm on the way. He desperately hoped that he wouldn’t have to sleep in his car. 

When he drove up to the house on Cherry Lane the lights were mostly off and only Neil’s car was in the driveway. Billy swallowed hard. That definitely didn’t bode well for him. He parked on the street just in case he needed to make a quick get away. The front door didn’t open even when he got out of the car. Neil wanted to do this inside, in the dark, where no one could see or hear Billy. 

Bad bad bad. 

Billy unlocked the door and shut it firmly behind him. The click of the door sounded like a gun cock in his ears. It was loud, damming. He turned to see Neil standing just a few feet from him, arms crossed and a furious scowl set on his face. 

“You’re late,” he said, his voice low and dangerous in that calm before the storm kind of way. Billy swallowed hard.

“Yes, sir.”

“You were supposed to be home last night.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Why weren’t you home last night, Billy?” Was it a chance to exonerate himself or a lure to pull him into deeper shit? Billy didn’t know and he didn’t want to take the risk. He hadn’t been this fucked since Neil had caught him sucking off Teddy Dalton in his bedroom back in California. 

“I fell asleep at a friend’s,” Billy said. He couldn’t make any excuses involving Max, Neil would know they were bullshit. Besides, Billy didn’t want her risking Neil’s ire by having to cover for him. He couldn’t say he was at a party or that he’d gotten into a fight because that would be worse. Oh, so much worse. Still, being at a friends meant he’d ditched Max, which was all what Neil had specifically asked him not to do.

“You were supposed to be watching your sister,” Neil snarled. The anger was waking up. Like a shark smelling blood Neil was onto him. Billy looked away.

“Yes, sir.”

“And how’d you get your face beat to shit?” Neil asked. Billy barely flinched, but it was enough. It was an admission of guilt.

“You lying to me, boy?” 

Billy shook his head fervently.

“No, sir,” he said. “I fell asleep at a friend’s,  _ I swear _ .”

Neil wrinkled his nose. He looked like a pitbull caught in a snarl.

“A  _ man’s _ house?” He asked pointedly. Here came the storm.

Neil had met Steve once or twice, basketball games and all that, and he had to have been certain that Steve wasn’t a queer or he would never have let Billy stay on the team. Still, he tended to assume that Billy was fucking every guy in town unless proven otherwise. 

“It was just Steve’s,” Billy said. He didn’t want to bring Steve into it, but Neil respected the Harringtons. He knew they had money and he knew they were straightlaced and wholesome. He’d probably been hoping that Steve would iron Billy out a little. 

Neil took a step closer and Billy backed up into the door.

“You corrupting the Harrington kid now? Huh?”

Billy shook his head again. He felt a little like a bobblehead. Back and forth; deny deny. 

“No, I swear, he’s just my friend. There were girls there too,” Billy protested. If anything Neil’s face twisted further. 

“You kids having orgies over there?” 

“No!”

“Don’t lie to me boy!” 

“I’m not! I fucking swear!” 

In two seconds Neil was on him, inches from Billy’s face, backhanding him across the cheek. Billy kept his eyes on the ground. 

“You don’t fucking swear in this house, you hear me?” Neil snarled. Billy nodded, eyes still locked on the floor. There was no defense to be made, no reason to be had. Fighting back was pointless because Neil always won. 

“I don’t even know where to fucking start with you, kid,” he snapped. “Where the fuck were you when you were supposed to be watching Max?”

“I-”

_ “Don’t lie to me!” _ Neil smacked him again and Billy bit his lip.

“There was this party-” 

It was all he needed to say. 

It was the same old same old. A smack to the face. A kick to the stomach. A right hook, a beat down. Blood flying from a split lip. Vision going red, maybe from anger, maybe from blood. Who could tell anymore? Billy was lying on the floor, red eyes leaking tears and locked on his blood staining the carpet. 

Neil was pissed today. Maybe it was just that he hated Billy. Maybe it was that he had a bad day at work. Maybe he’d been thinking about Billy’s mom. Didn’t matter. 

Billy pushed up on his hands and Neil kicked him again. Billy choked out a cry and Neil crossed his arms. 

“That’s it kid. You’re fucking done. You don’t listen to me-”  _ punch _ “-you don’t respect me-”  _ kick _ “-you’re about as fucking responsible as a dead man!”  _ hurl him into the door _ . “So what are we gonna fucking do about it?” 

Billy shuffled back against the door. His face hurt. One eye bloody, one eye swollen almost shut. 

“I don’t know, sir,” he said, his voice barely more than a whisper. Neil unbuckled his belt and Billy felt his heart stop.

“I have an idea,” Neil said, snapping the belt. “Let’s see how many hits it takes to make the lesson stick, huh?” 

He snapped the belt down and Billy felt a burning on his arm.  _ “Respect!” _

Another lash, this time hitting Billy’s thigh.  _ “And _ - _ ” _

Once more, whipping him across the face.  _ “Responsibility!”  _

The belt came down, buckle first, ripping into the skin of Billy’s back and somehow that was it. He’d finally had enough. Billy reached up for the doorknob, Neil’s belt catching him across the back of his hand. He wrapped his hand around the knob, preparing himself, and then hurled himself to his feet. Neil dropped the belt and went to punch him again, but Billy moved just in time for Neil’s fist to hit the door. He cursed and shook his hand, fury building in his eyes, and Billy pushed him back with all his might. Neil stumbled back and Billy was gone - out the door and booking it down the front lawn and through the pouring rain to his car. 

Neil ran out after him, shaking his fist and shouting, but Billy couldn’t hear him over the rush of blood in his ears. He threw himself into the driver's seat, kicked the car on, and peeled off like a bat out of hell, tires kicking up waves as he went. 

He glanced back in the rearview to see Neil standing in the street, watching his car as the tail lights slowly faded into the distance. 

Billy had no idea where to go. Who would take him in? He couldn’t go to Robin or Heather - their parents would flip - and he couldn’t remember if Steve’s parents were going to be home or not. 

For the moment the adrenaline was keeping him upright, but he was beat to hell and he wouldn’t last much longer. He needed to find a place to land, and fast. 

He turned down the street to Steve’s house. He figured he could do a driveby and if the driveway was empty then that’s where he’d go. 

Billy drove carefully with his limited range of vision, but eventually Steve’s house came into view. The driveway was ( _ thank god _ ) empty. 

He pulled in quiet as you please, and shut the car off. He practically fell out of the driver's seat, but didn’t let it stop him as he made his way up to the front porch. 

Wet and bloody fingers slipped against the doorbell a few times before they hit the mark, a pleasant chime ringing out.

Steve pulled open the door, his eyes widening comically when he saw Billy.

_ “What the fuck?” _ He cried as Billy propped himself up on the doorframe. 

“Steve,” Billy said, his voice like broken glass. “Help me.” 

Steve didn’t think twice. 

“Get in here, asshole,” he snapped. He wrapped an arm around Billy and hauled him inside. He limped them over to the couch where Billy fell down with a groan, tears leaking from the corners of his eyes. 

“What happened?” Steve asked, his voice getting higher and more frazzled every second. Billy shook his head.

“Later,” he said. “First-  _ argh! _ Ice, drugs, alcohol, whatever you’ve got.”

“Right!” Steve rushed off, a harried look on his face, only to return with a giant glass of water, a pack of frozen peas, his dad’s good whiskey, and the biggest bottle of ibuprofen Billy had ever seen.

“My mom gets headaches,” Steve explained as he poured out five pea sized pills. 

“Good for her,” Billy muttered as he downed all five pills one after another. He chased the pills down with a swig from Steve’s dad’s whiskey, and then coughed a little as it burned going down. 

“Pretty sure you aren’t supposed to mix those two,” Steve said. 

“You got a first aid kit?” Billy asked, ignoring him. 

“Yeah.” Steve took off again, and returned with a little red tin with a white cross on top. It was a generic first aid kit with hydrogen peroxide, band-aids, a couple of bandages, tape, tweezers, and scissors. Nothing fancy, no suture kit or anything else. Billy wasn’t even entirely sure if he needed anything fancy, or if his wounds were purely painfully aesthetic. 

“I guess peroxide and bandages?” Steve asked. “I should really call Robin, she’s way better at this stuff than I am.”

Billy shook his head vehemently. “No. No Robin, no Heather. Bandages and peroxide are fine.” 

Steve didn’t look convinced, but thankfully he didn’t argue. Instead he dug out cotton swabs and dabbed at the bloodier cuts with peroxide soaked swabs, his face growing tight at the sight of belt-shaped lash marks. Billy hissed and clenched his teeth through it all; his fingers white knuckled on the couch, his eyes shut against the pain. 

The ibuprofen kicked in as Steve was taping bandages and bain-aids over the nastier cuts. Billy felt his shoulders relax a little as the ice and drugs did away with the worst of the pain. He held the frozen peas up to his swollen eyes and sighed. 

Steve worked in silence, but once Billy was all patched up - or, more accurately, patched up as well as he was going to be - Steve got twitchy.

“Spit it out, Stevie,” Billy sighed. He knew what going to Steve’s house would mean, and it was time he faced the questions head on.

“What the hell happened to you?” Steve asked. Billy debated telling the truth. He thought about all the crazy lies he could come up with. He’d gotten in another fight, or he’d gotten caught cuckolding some Hawkins husband. There was little point to it though, the belt marks were fairly damning. 

The problem was that Billy was tired. Tired and lonely and so  _ so  _ afraid of his father. Someone else needed to know the truth, because if Neil Hargrove finally killed him one day, Billy didn’t want the bastard to get away with it. 

“My dad,” Billy said, the truth tasting bitter on his tongue. Steve was silent for a while, his preppy jock brain working hard to make sense of what Billy was telling him. 

“Your dad hit you?” He asked. 

“It’s always him,” Billy replied. Steve took a little longer to process that. All the days Billy had come into school with bruises on his face and an epic tale about a fight he’d been in over the weekend. All the times he’d said  _ oh, if you think this is bad, you should see the other guy _ . Billy was belligerent enough that everyone just believed him, but now that Steve was thinking about it he wasn’t sure what had come first: the bruises, or the belligerence. Looking at Billy now, small, soaked, and sad, curly blonde hair matted with blood, pretty blue eyes swollen shut, Steve was almost certain the bruises had come first. 

“Billy, you should have told me,” he said helplessly. Billy raised the peas just a little, just enough for Steve to see the swollen slits of his eyes. 

“What would you have done, Steve?” He asked. 

Steve swallowed hard. What would he have done? Really? He would’ve gone to the police. He would have told his parents, the principle,  _ somebody. _ Steve felt his resolve harden and he glared at Billy. 

“I would have done  _ something _ ,” he said. Billy let the peas fall back over his eyes to hide the gathering tears. He felt the couch dip as Steve sat next to him. 

“What are you going to do?” Steve asked. Billy shrugged. 

“I dunno,” he said. “I just had to leave.” 

Steve nodded. 

“I’m glad you came here,” he said. He felt a fire burning in his gut; it was a familiar feeling, this protective instinct. It was the kind of feeling that usually only came out around Robin or Dustin. Steve looked at Billy - beaten to a pulp and crying behind frozen peas - and felt that feeling burning tenfold. He was furious. He had never truly hated someone before, not really, but for the first time Steve felt a furious boiling  _ hatred _ for Neil Hargove. 

“I’m going to fucking kill your dad,” he said fiercely. Billy snorted a laugh.

“Easy, killer,” he said. “No point in fighting him. He always wins.”

Steve frowned. It sounded like something Billy had been told. The kind of thing he’d been told to keep him docile. To make sure he held still and took his beating.  _ Why fight back if you know you’re always going to lose? _ But was it really losing if he never fought in the first place? Steve picked up one of Billy’s hands in his. He rubbed his thumb over the smooth unblemished flesh of his knuckles. 

Billy let him for a minute, selfishly letting himself enjoy the feeling of kind hands on him instead of mean ones. Steve’s hands were big and warm, a little calloused from basketball, but soft.

“You didn’t fight back,” Steve said. It was anathema to him. Billy was always fighting back. That was his thing. He didn’t always start fights, but he  _ always _ finished them. Except the day before with George Fetterly, and today with his father. 

Billy shrugged.

“It’s just worse if I fight back,” he said. Steve forced himself not to shout. He wanted to rage at Billy, demand to know why he’d let Neil keep doing this to him, but he didn’t-couldn’t-wouldn’t. Billy didn’t deserve that. Not now, not ever. Besides, it was Neil that really deserved Steve’s ire, and Neil that Steve really wanted to hurt.

“Besides, I didn’t want to give him a reason to go in on Max,” Billy said in his smallest voice. He leaned back against the couch as reality hit him dead in the face. 

_ “Max,” _ he breathed. Billy nodded. 

“Yeah.” 

It was almost a surprise, though it probably shouldn’t have been. Steve had never known Billy and Max to get along, but now he knew why. He kept her away from him, and by doing so he kept her away from Neil, too. Of course it was impossible for Billy to fight back. He had people to protect, reasons to keep Neil’s violent tunnel vision focused solely on himself. 

“Should I call her?” Steve asked. Billy shook his head. 

“No, she’s probably out with Susan. Neil dotes on her anyway. It’s just me he hates,” he said. 

“Why?” 

“Why what?” 

“Why does Neil hate you?” 

Billy shrugged. 

“He just does. He hated my mom too.” 

Steve could read between the lines on that one. 

“Is she…?” He trailed off, unsure of how to approach what he wanted to ask.

Billy shook his head. 

“No,” he said. “She took off when I was eight. I don’t know where she is, but it’s not here.” He wasn’t really bitter when he said it, just resigned. The resignation was worse, if you asked Steve. Steve, who had the sudden and disturbing thought that life had been deeply,  _ ridiculously, _ unfair to Billy. 

“Are you sure you don’t want me to call the girls?” He asked. He wasn’t great at being emotional or talking about his feelings, but the girls were. They’d be able to sit and dote on Billy, and they’d say the right thing if he decided to talk about his father. 

Billy shook his head again. He patted Steve’s knee and Steve felt heat race through him. Odd.

“You’re more than enough, Steve,” he said. Steve felt his stomach swoop at the words. He’d never been enough for anyone before, much less more than enough. Usually he was just the best of bad options. 

Steve found himself wanting to put his arms around Billy the way he would if Heather or Robin was upset. He held himself back just barely. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Billy shiver. He thought about the bandages and the belt lashes and the bruises. Why hold himself back? Billy deserved a little kindness.

Always one to go on impulse, he put his arm around Billy and pulled him in close. Billy, unable to believe the turn the night had taken, let himself fall into Steve’s embrace. He leaned his head on Steve’s shoulder, letting the peas fall from his eyes so he could tuck his head into Steve’s neck. He sniffled a little and Steve held him tighter. 

“I’m never going to let this happen to you again,” Steve said fiercely. “You got that Billy? If that piece of shit comes anywhere near you, I’ll fucking kill him.” 

Billy clenched his fist in Steve’s shirt. 

“Don’t confront him,” he begged. “He’ll kill you.” 

Steve looked down at Billy, and Billy, feeling eyes on him, looked up. 

It was like a storm. The feelings built like a buzz in the atmosphere. Their heads tilted, lined up as they prepared for the first drop of rain, and then like thunder cracking in the dark they came together, lips pressing hard and insistent. Steve’s other arm came up around Billy, pulling him close and keeping him there. Billy’s hands stayed fisted in Steve’s shirt. All his hurt, all his love, anguish, desperation, poured into a kiss that blazed like fire. A kiss that buzzed against their lips even as they pulled apart. 

“Wow,” Steve said. 

In a second they were on each other again. Billy straddled Steve’s waist, and Steve’s hands dropped to his ass, touching and squeezing in equal measure. Steve thrusted his hips up as Billy ground his down. They kissed hard and rough, teeth gnashing and tongues plunging into each other's mouths. Steve nipped at Billy’s lip, one of his standard moves, but felt himself freeze when he tasted blood. 

He leaned back to see that he’d reopened the split on Billy’s plush bottom lip. He felt fresh anger rush through him as he rubbed a thumb under it, and Billy shivered at how gentle he was being. He licked his lip, tongue just brushing Steve’s thumb, and Steve’s eyes grew dark and heated. 

“This is going to be trouble,” Steve said, his eyes fixated on Billy’s bottom lip. 

“Who cares?” Billy asked. Certainly not Steve, who leaned up to kiss Billy again. 

Billy ground down against the hard on pressing insistently at his ass. Steve made a punched out sound and so Billy ground harder, adding just the right kind of friction. Steve made encouraging sounds and unzipped Billy’s jeans. He broke their kiss a second to spit in his hand, and then reached between them. He wrapped his hand around Billy’s cock and tugged.

“Steve,” Billy sighed out as Steve rubbed him just right. He tried to keep up his grinding rhythm, but Steve’s hand had him uncoordinated and needy. He finally had to stop as he felt his orgasm coming up on him, building like a fire in his belly, until finally he exploded in Steve’s hand with a choked off cry. He came down in Steve’s arms, breathing through the aftershocks. He could still feel Steve hard against his ass, and his lips quirked into a wicked smile. 

“Wanna fuck my thighs?” He asked, eyes burning. Steve nodded stupidly, eyes going wide, and Billy bit back a laugh. Carefully he extracted himself from Steve’s hold and laid back against the couch while Steve watched him hungrily, uncertain of how to continue. Billy lifted his hips and pushed his jeans and his underwear down his legs. Steve pulled off Billy’s shoes, and then tossed his pants across the room as Billy laughed. 

Billy gathered his come in his hands and jerked Steve off a little, then turned around and got on his knees.

“Go ahead and fuck me,” he said, mouth twisted in an all too pleased smirk. Steve practically lunged forward, grabbing Billy’s hips in his hands, and shoving his cock between his thighs. Billy moaned as Steve’s hips hit his ass. There was no time to get used to the feeling, as Steve’s chosen rhythm seemed to be  _ hard and fast _ . 

Steve looked down, his eyes locked on the way his cock disappeared between Billy’s soft pale thighs.

“Fuck, Billy,” he moaned. Billy dropped his head against the couch.

“Yeah, fuck me Steve.”

Steve’s thrusts grew faster, more insistent, his rhythm faltering, and finally Billy could feel come hit his belly. Steve thrust a few more times through the aftershocks, then he sat back, his cock falling from Billy’s come sticky thighs. Billy flopped onto his back, his knees tucked in to give Steve room on the couch. 

“Wow,” Steve breathed out. Billy laughed. He opened his legs so he could see Steve’s face. He didn’t miss the way Steve’s eyes roved over him, never looking up at his face. 

“You’ve been saying that a lot tonight,” he said. Steve shrugged. 

“It needed to be said.” 

Billy’s heart did a stupid fluttery thing and he bit back a smile. 

“That good, huh?” He asked. Steve nodded.

“Yup.” 

“Good to know.”

They sat together in silence, neither of them really sure where to go from there. 

“What now?” Steve asked, if only to fill the silence. He wasn’t really expecting an answer. 

“Can I stay here for a little bit?” Billy asked. Steve shot him a wide eyed look.

“Like I’d actually let you leave!” 

Billy laughed, both inwardly and outwardly relieved. He had expected shifty looks, maybe to be kicked out. He hadn’t expected this. He should’ve known better. Steve had always been a mother hen. 

“Thanks, Steve,” he said. Steve gave him a flat look, and Billy thought suddenly that he looked so funny with his shirt still on and his pants around his ankles. 

“You’re not going anywhere as long as I have anything to say about it.” 

They’d need to have a talk later, about what this meant, about what it meant for Steve who was currently dating Heather. They’d need to find Billy a place to live since he wasn’t planning on going home any time soon. They’d need to tell Robin, to tell Heather. They’d maybe even need to tell Max. 

For now though, for now they were content to strip naked and fall together, hands wandering and lips locked in slow aching kisses.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was going to be a slow burn, but who’s got the time? Certainly not Billy and Steve.
> 
> I’ve decided on 20 total chapters because apparently I’m physically incapable of keeping things brief, but who knows? There might be more.


End file.
